Webinar: Understanding Drug (Medication) Allergy

In this webinar, Associate Professor William Smith, shares information on drug (medication) allergy.  

This webinar covered:  

• What is drug (medication) allergy? 
• How is someone with a drug allergy diagnosed? Is there a test that confirms drug allergy?  
• What are the signs and symptoms of drug allergy and how do they differ from an adverse reaction to a drug? 
• What should you do if you suspect you have a drug allergy? 
• What is a drug allergy challenge? 
• How do you share information about your drug allergy with treating health care professionals? 
• What about alternate therapies? Can people be allergic to drops and other treatments suggested by alternate therapists? 

Webinar Details

Recorded: Wednesday 19th June 2024

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Questions

1.  Should someone with a drug allergy wear a medical identification product, including infants and children, and if so, what would be the best product to wear? What information should you include on the medical identification product? (watch at 24:53)
2. If you have an allergic reaction to a drug (medication), who do you report this to? (watch at 28:03)
3. Is there a process in place to investigate the allergic reaction if this was provided by an institution such as a hospital? (watch at 30:08)
4. What is the frequency that the allergic reaction increases in severity the more you’re exposed to the allergen or the medication? (watch at 32:42)
5. What are the signs of severe allergy (anaphylaxis) that we can identify besides how it looks and what do we look out for? (watch at 35:18)
6. If you have a sulfite sensitivity, then does this mean you need to avoid medications that contain sulfur/sulfonamide chemical structure? If so, then how do you communicate this to your treating physician or pharmacist? (watch at 36:42)
7. If someone has been diagnosed with a penicillin drug allergy at a very young age, should they have this reviewed to determine if they are still allergic? What is the criteria to be eligible for a drug challenge? (watch at 38:19)
8. If someone experiences anaphylaxis during a drug challenge, how often should you be reviewed by a clinical immunology/allergy specialist and would you do a subsequent drug challenge? (watch at 39:59)
9. If you have a confirmed drug (medication) allergy, how does this translate to over-the-counter supplements? (watch at 41:53)
10. Is it true that insect bites and stings generally cause more severe reactions than any other allergens? Is that true? (watch at 43:08)

Presenter