Promoting “Penicillin Allergy Stewardship” in Dentistry: Why, When, and How?(On-Demand)

Discovered nearly 100 years ago, penicillin and its derivatives, including amoxicillin, remain some of the most potent and safe antibiotics to treat severe infections. Unfortunately, a significant number of infected patients who are labeled as penicillin-allergic are denied first-line treatment with penicillins, putting them at risk for negative outcomes. 

Many patients who report a penicillin allergy are not truly allergic, either because their symptoms were misclassified as an allergic reaction or because they have lost their hypersensitivity over time. The dental office provides an opportunity to practice “penicillin allergy stewardship,” with the goal of increasing the proportion of patients receiving first-line antibiotic therapy both within and outside of the dental office. Tools to support the involvement of all dental personnel in assisting patients to navigate the reassessment of their allergy labels will be demonstrated.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Describe situations when a patient may be mislabeled as being allergic to penicillin. 
2. Discuss the potential consequences of antibiotic treatment in a patient who reports a penicillin allergy. 
3. Explore the key design considerations for a chairside tool aimed at facilitating penicillin allergy reassessment.
4. Determine how to implement chairside tools designed to identify patients who may benefit from a reassessment of their penicillin allergy in your practice. 
5. Communicate to the patient the process for penicillin allergy reassessment, including removal of the penicillin allergy label from their medical record(s).

Steps to Complete Course:

1. Click on On-Demand Recording below and watch the video
2. Complete the Assessment (requires a passing score of 70%)
3. Complete the Evaluation 
   • Once you complete the Evaluation, you can find your CE Certificate under MY ACCOUNT > MY CERTIFICATES