Drug allergy

The College's care pathway for drug allergy is presented in two parts:

1. an algorithm with the stages of ideal care, and
2. a set of competences required to diagnose, treat and optimally manage drug allergy.

The algorithm has numbers which correspond to the competences outlined within the body of the document. Download the full drug pathway: Drug Allergy Care Pathway (PDF, 1.7 MB, 8 pages).

We recommend that this pathway is implemented locally by a multidisciplinary team with a focus on creating networks between staff in primary and community healthcare, social care, education and hospital-based practice to improve services for children with allergic conditions. All specialists should have paediatric training.

Drug allergy definition

Drug allergy is defined as an immune-mediated hypersensitivity reaction to a medicinal product and may be divided into Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated (immediate-onset) reactions and non IgE-mediated (delayed-onset) reactions.

The Working Group acknowledges a wide range of adverse reactions occur to medicinal products and this pathway does not cover the treatment of these reactions.

Core knowledge documents

No core knowledge documents for the management of children with drug allergies were identified.