Once a patient is labeled as having a penicillin allergy, it is rarely revisited. The label sticks and increases the patient’s risk of receiving subsequent suboptimal, alternative antibiotic therapy, even in cases of unconfirmed penicillin allergy. Yet, in an era of cost cutting and intensified scrutiny on antibiotic stewardship, there is heightened interest in confirmatory allergy testing to “debunk” false penicillin allergies and minimize the use of unnecessary, high-cost, broad-spectrum antibiotics. In 2016, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) approved a position statement recommending routine penicillin allergy testing in patients with unverified penicillin allergies. “Penicillin allergy testing is associated with an unrealized potential: this procedure can accurately identify the approximately nine of 10 patients who despite reporting a history of penicillin allergy can receive penicillins safely,” the AAAAI said in its position statement. “The AAAAI encourages more widespread and routine performance of penicillin skin testing for patients with a history of allergy to penicillin or another beta lactam (e.g., ampicillin or amoxicillin)…. We are confident that more frequent and routine performance of penicillin allergy testing will be associated with reduced costs of care, enhanced patient safety, and improved outcomes of care.” Several recent reports show that penicillin […]