VIPTA is a statewide infection prevention and control education collaborative, led by the Virginia Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Group. Through partnership, VIPTA curates IPC resources for Virginia’s healthcare, congregate care, and public health settings.
Is it Really a Penicillin Allergy?
Did you know that 10% of U.S. patients report a penicillin allergy, but fewer than 1% are actually allergic? Taking the time to clarify whether a penicillin allergy is real or not can make a big difference in patient care. As we approach U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW), November 18-24, it’s the perfect opportunity to confirm if that reported allergy is accurate.
By doing so, healthcare providers can help reduce the unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics—lowering healthcare costs and decreasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance. A simple conversation or assessment can go a long way!
Ready to take action? Here are some helpful resources to get started:
- Penicillin Allergy Education: The CDC’s flyer “Is it Really a Penicillin Allergy?” provides key insights for healthcare professionals on the importance of evaluating reported penicillin allergies.
- Allergy Assessment Tool: The AHRQ tool helps clinicians safely evaluate reported penicillin allergies, supporting accurate diagnosis and improved patient care.
- CDC Toolkit for USAAW: Use the toolkit and daily themes to inspire your activities throughout Antibiotic Awareness Week.
Target Audience: Intermediate IPC education level
Taking Antimicrobial Stewardship Beyond Hospital Walls: Community Outreach for Smarter Antibiotic Use
In an innovative effort to extend antimicrobial stewardship beyond the hospital setting, Carilion Clinic’s Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) team launched a community outreach initiative aimed at educating families about appropriate antibiotic use. Patient expectations play a key role in outpatient antibiotic prescribing. Meaningful conversations between patients and providers around antibiotic necessity are needed.
Carilion aimed to deliver accessible messaging through visually engaging billboards across southwest Virginia, reinforcing public health messages such as “Antibiotics don’t work on viruses” and “Antibiotics aren’t always the answer when you are sick.” Complementary posters in clinic waiting rooms provided patients and families with quick education, addressing common misconceptions about antibiotics for viral infections and raising awareness about potential antibiotic harms.
To further support their youngest patients, the AMS team partnered with a large pediatric practice to distribute “fever care kits” to improve at-home temperature tracking and symptom relief. Each kit contained a thermometer, simple symptom relief items, and an educational bookmark on fever and infections. These tangible resources helped empower caregivers to manage mild illnesses confidently at home and understand when antibiotics and healthcare visits might be unnecessary.
Early feedback from clinicians has been overwhelmingly positive, many of whom reported that these initiatives facilitated more productive conversations with patients about antibiotics. By bringing stewardship principles directly into the community, this is one more way Carilion’s AMS team is helping to reduce antibiotic misuse, slow the development of resistance, and preserve antibiotics’ effectiveness for future generations.
