People with an allergy and their carers

Fact sheets | Apps | Webinars | Podcasts | Electronic prescriptions | Newsletters

Why is My Health Record important for people with allergies?

My Health Record gives your healthcare team a clearer picture of your health, including:

• information about your allergies
• blood test results
• medicines you are taking
• other illnesses you have, and
• information about any hospital stays.

Your healthcare professionals need to know this information to keep you safe and give you the best medical care and treatment.

In an emergency situation or if you or your child end up in hospital unexpectedly, it could be life saving for doctors to know about any serious allergies to medications, food, or substances you might be exposed to in hospital (e.g. latex).

This information needs to be easy for your healthcare professionals to find. Every healthcare professional can access My Health Record for this information. 

When you see lots of different healthcare professionals (such as specialists, your GP and allied health) your health information should be easily shared so that everyone knows about your allergy/allergies.

Steps you can take to make sure My Health Record works for you 

1. Check what information My Health Record has about your allergies (or your child’s allergies).

2. If there are serious and life-threatening allergies missing, speak to your GP about adding a shared health summary.

3. You can also add allergies and adverse reaction information to My Health Record yourself, in the personal health summary section. Read our fact sheet to learn how. Your healthcare providers will be able to view the information you add.

4. Your clinical immunology/allergy specialist and other specialists can include information in an event summary or a specialist letter when you have a consultation with them.

 For more information about how to do Steps 1-4, go to:

• Fact sheets
• My Health Record website (external website)

Fact sheets

The following fact sheets explain how to get set up with My Health Record and how to add allergy information.

Getting set up with My Health Record: A guide for people with an allergy and their carers

How to add allergy information into My Health Record: A guide for people with an allergy and their carers

Access My Health Record using an app

You can securely view health information including allergies, medicines and immunisations in your record through the My Health App. You can also access your proof of vaccination and immunisation history including your COVID-19 pathology results.

Further information on how to access and use the app is available on the Australian Digital Health Agency website, which you can visit by clicking on the image below.

Webinars

Webinar – How can My Health Record help me if I have allergies?

In April 2021 the National Allergy Strategy in partnership with the Australian Digital Health Agency hosted a Webinar for allergy consumers. Listen to a panel of experts including Marwa Osman (Australian Digital Health Agency), Maria Said (CEO, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia), Dr William Smith (clinical immunology/allergy specialist) and Dr Aaron Chambers (community GP) respond to consumer questions about My Health Record. Click on a question below to be taken directly to the panel members' response.

Webinar – How can My Health Record help me if I have allergies?

• Webinar – How can My Health Record help me if I have allergies? - full
• What do I do if my doctor doesn’t want to use My Health Record or doesn’t know how to use My Health Record? How do I encourage them to do so?
• What if the allergy information is there in my record, but it doesn’t look correct? What should I do?
• Maria, can you tell us how you found accessing My Health Record as a consumer, and entering allergy information into it?
• From a consumer perspective do we presume that if a doctor can access My Health Record that they have the allergy information that they need, or should we communicate our allergy information verbally with that health professional as well?
• If I get the COVID-19 vaccine, will this show up in My Health Record?
• How far back does My Health Record go?
• Can all health professional access My Health Record?
• [To the panelists] Do you have a conversation with your patients about My Health Record? Do you talk to them about it at all?
• At what age do I stop having access to my child’s record?
• I’m not sure how to add my allergy information. Is there a section for that?
• If I see a private allergy specialist will they add information into My Health Record?

Podcasts

Find out what you can do to make sure your allergy information is available to your healthcare providers through My Health Record.

Speakers: Hosted by Dr Andrew Rochford, with Dr Aaron Chambers (community GP), Maria Said (Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia), Dr Dean Tey (Paediatric Allergist and Immunologist) and Dr Charlotte Hespe (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Board).

To listen to the podcast, click on the image below.

Electronic Prescriptions

You can choose to have your prescription sent to your mobile phone instead of receiving a paper prescription. You may also want to set up an Active Script List which lists all of your prescriptions on your mobile phone. For more information or to learn how to set up electronic prescriptions or an Active Script List, please click on the link below. 

Electronic prescriptions | Australian Digital Health Agency

Newsletters

Newsletter - March 2021
Newsletter - March 2021Is your (or your child’s) allergy information in My Health Record?

Newsletter - May 2020
My Health Record – Your privacy and security questions answered

Newsletter - April 2020
My Health Record: A step in the right direction for people with allergic disease

Newsletter - November 2019
Is your allergy and adverse reaction information in your My Health Record?

Content updated May 2023