Jonathan Underhill, Medicines Clinical Adviser at PrescQIPP talks to Prof Philip Howard about penicillin allergy de-labelling, colloquially known as PADL.
Philip is a leading expert in antimicrobial stewardship, he currently serves as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Regional Antimicrobial Stewardship Lead for NHS England North-East & Yorkshire. He is also a Past President of the British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, a member of the DHSA advisory group on AMR and healthcare-acquired infections, and supports NICE in developing infectious disease guidance.
He has published widely on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and antibiotic shortages, and has delivered AMS education and training globally. Among his many honours, I know he was especially proud to receive an OBE for services to healthcare.
Patients with a recorded penicillin allergy cannot receive many first-line antibiotics and may need second or third-line agents, increasing antimicrobial resistance. Although true penicillin allergy can be life-threatening due to anaphylaxis, 6–8% of the UK population (4–5 million people) carry a label, and up to 95% are inaccurate. Careful penicillin allergy de-labelling (PADL) therefore benefits both individuals and public health.
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