Background: Penicillin allergy testing (PAT) can decrease the use of unnecessary antibiotics by clarifying who is truly allergic.
Objectives: This article describes the development and implementation of an oncology outpatient nurse-driven PAT program.
Methods: A nurse-driven program, initiated with allergy screening at the first encounter, was designed to identify patients with oncologic diagnoses eligible for PAT. Once verified eligible, patients undergo a three-step testing process (scratch test, intradermal injection, and IV challenge dose) administered by the infusion nurse.
Findings: From November 2018 to December 2019, 82 outpatients with reported penicillin allergies were screened; 90% were eligible for PAT, and 97% of patients tested were negative for penicillin allergy. A significant reduction in aztreonam use among patients admitted for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was also noted as compared to before PAT was offered.
Keywords: allergy screening; oncology; penicillin; penicillin allergy testing.