Bedside testing for penicillin allergies could save lives

Allergic to penicillin? You may want to check again.

“The majority of patients who report an allergy to penicillin likely could tolerate it if they received it,” says Dr. Jerome Leis, medical director of infection prevention & control at Sunnybrook.

He says many people outgrow their allergy, or may be able to receive the drug in controlled doses.

Giving patients the right drug not only helps to reduce antibiotic resistance, but can save the lives of those patients who require penicillin to help cure their infections.