Ideas That Work: Drug Allergy Attentiveness

Practical pearls from your colleagues

It cannot be overstated that the management of allergy information is an essential part of both the patient experience and patient safety at your ASC. Moreover, ordering and administration of a drug against a stated allergy could result in significant unintended consequences. Limited information as to the allergy manifestation is a potential clinical, regulatory, patient safety and patient satisfaction breach, says Sheldon S. Sones, R.Ph., FASCP, a pharmacy consultant and president of Connecticut-based Sheldon S. Sones and Associates, LLC.

Today, most facilities with an EMR satisfy our management goals — if the information is complete. For those that still rely on traditional medical records, this form streamlines the process, and the colored paper prompts an easy and more successful effort to evaluate the stated allergies vs. side effects. This level of thoroughness can help ensure that drugs that could trigger an allergic reaction are not ordered and perhaps administered. OSM