Research shows up to nine in ten Australians with an existing penicillin allergy are not actually allergic. Those with a recorded penicillin allergy require doctors to prescribe less effective treatments, which are often associated with complications like longer hospital stays and bacterial resistance to antibiotics. 

A new national awareness campaign by the National Allergy Council is being introduced alongside new clinical guidelines to help GPs safely test and de-label low-risk patients.   

The Wire’s Danilo Facciorusso spoke with Maria Said, Director and Co-chair of the National Allergy Council and heath strategy and advocacy manager, Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia, about the risks of avoiding important antibiotics and how the health campaign itself aims to create a safter healthcare space for everyone.