The National Allergy Council, a partnership between the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia, is raising awareness about reported penicillin allergy and encouraging people to consider whether an allergy recorded in the past may be worth revisiting.
Australians who have been told they are allergic to penicillin are encouraged to discuss it with their doctor, with research showing up to nine in 10 people with a reported penicillin allergy are not allergic when properly assessed.¹
Around 10% of people report a penicillin allergy – equivalent to approximately 2.8 million Australians based on the current population – yet fewer than 1% of the population are thought to be truly allergic.¹ ²
Professor Michaela Lucas, Clinical Immunology/Allergy Specialist and Co-chair of the National Allergy Council’s Drug Allergy Working Group said: “For many people, a penicillin allergy recorded after symptoms experienced during a childhood illness has followed them throughout their lives. We want people to understand that an allergy recorded years or even decades ago may be worth reassessing, rather than assuming they will always be allergic to penicillin.”
How do you find out if you are allergic?
Talk to your General Practitioner (GP), who can review your medical history, including your symptoms and how long ago the reaction occurred, and determine whether further assessment may be appropriate.
Why does it matter?
People that are not found to be allergic to penicillin then have an increased range of antibiotics to target specific infections.
Reported antibiotic allergy is associated with longer treatment and hospital stays, higher readmission rates and greater use of alternative antibiotics. Unnecessary use of alternative antibiotics can contribute to antimicrobial resistance, where bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.3
New ASCIA guidelines
New ASCIA guidelines have been released, developed in collaboration with the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE). The guidelines, together with online training and resources, support GPs and other health professionals to assess people with a reported penicillin allergy and identify those who may be suitable for removing a penicillin allergy label in general practice.
Important note
No one should try taking penicillin themselves to find out whether they are allergic. Antibiotics should only be taken when prescribed for the individual taking them.
References
Devchand M, Trubiano JA. Penicillin allergy: a practical approach to assessment and prescribing. Australian Prescriber. 2019;42:192–199. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2019.065.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. National, state and territory population, March 2026. Estimated resident population: 27,921,150 at 31 March 2026.
Arnold A, Coventry LL, Foster MJ, Koplin JJ, Lucas M. The Burden of Self-Reported Antibiotic Allergies in Health Care and How to Address It: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. 2023;11(10):3133–3145.e3. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2023.06.025.
