Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacist-led allergy assessments and penicillin skin testing.

ABSTRACT: Allergy assessments and penicillin skin testing are associated with reductions in high-Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI)-risk antibiotic use and lower hospital-acquired CDI rates; however, these activities require substantial personnel and resource allocation. Recently, many antimicrobial stewardship programs' (ASPs) focus shifted towards supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response. We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a pharmacist-led allergy assessment and penicillin skin testing program. Patients undergoing allergy assessment and/or penicillin skin testing (PST) from 1 January 2017 through 30 April 2021 were included for review. Monthly PST and allergy assessment rates were calculated and defined as the number of PSTs or allergy assessments per 1000 unique pat

SUBMITTER: Spivey J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9347724 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature