Allergy & Immunology Pharmacist Services

The St. Peter's Health Allergy, Asthma and Immunology team includes allergy pharmacists who can work with you to help clarify medication allergies.

Allergy pharmacists can clarify many types of medication allergies, including:

Penicillin antibiotics
Cephalosporin antibiotics
Sulfa containing medications
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics
Clindamycin
Steroids
Vaccines
Topical anesthetics
And more

"After many years of struggling with recurrent bladder infections and doctors puzzling over what antibiotics I could take, learning about the Allergy Clinic was a God-send… I was excited to be able to find out which medications were safe for me to take. It was an added treat to have such a friendly, competent pharmacist to administer the test."

- Patient Testimonial

Did you know?

Many patients will outgrow their medication allergies. That means over time, your medication allergy could go away.
Medication allergy clarification helps determine if you possibly outgrew your medication allergy.
Unnecessary medication allergies can lead to more costly and more complicated medication therapies.

Appointment information

How to prepare for your appointment

Do not take medications as instructed by your allergy pharmacist.
Allergy clarification appointments can last up to four hours. Bring something to keep you entertained during your appointment.
Bring a complete medication list including over the counter supplements and vitamins to your appointment.
Please do not wear any perfumes or scented lotions to your appointment.

Who will I see during my allergy clarification appointment?

You will be seen by an allergy pharmacist during your appointment. Depending on the type of appointment, you may also be seen by the provider in the allergy clinic. Appointments are typically one to four hours depending on the type of referral.

What to expect during your appointment

Testing always requires an oral challenge, but may also require skin testing. A typical oral challenge is a two-step process. You will first receive one-tenth of the normal dose, then receive a full dose. You will be monitored for any signs of systemic reactions for approximately three hours.

Systemic reactions include:

Shortness of breath
Itching, redness, hives
Low blood pressure
Nausea/vomiting
Dizziness or light-headedness

Skin testing is a two-step process. First, a drop of a drug is placed on your skin, then the skin is poked gently. Next, a small amount of drug is injected under the skin. You will be monitored for any type of local skin reaction for approximately one hour.

Please note: If you have any lung disease, please let us know so we can ensure your safety with an allergy challenge.