• Ethan Englert and Andrea Weeks.
• Department of Pharmacy, Paoli Hospital - Main Line Health, Paoli, PA.
• Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2019 Dec 2; 76 (24): 2060-2069.

PurposeResults of a study evaluating the implementation and impact of a pharmacist-driven penicillin skin testing (PST) service for patients prescribed alternative antibiotics in the community hospital setting are reported.MethodsA prospective pilot service in which patients with a documented penicillin allergy (type I, immunoglobulin E [IgE]-mediated) who were prescribed alternative antibiotics received PST by a trained pharmacist was implemented; if test results were negative, the allergy was de-labeled from their electronic medical record. The primary objective was the percentage of patients switched to first-line antibiotics. Secondary objectives included length of stay (LOS) and inpatient antimicrobial costs to the health system.ResultsTwenty-two patients were proactively identified and received PST by a pharmacist. Of those tested, all were negative, with no type I (IgE-mediated) hypersensitivity reactions to the test itself or to the beta-lactam antibiotic administered thereafter; 68.2% (15/22) were successfully transitioned to a beta-lactam after PST. As a result, a decrease in the use of fluoroquinolones and vancomycin and an increase in use of narrow penicillin-based antibiotics and first- and second-generation cephalosporins were observed. The mean ± S.D. LOS per patient was 7.41 ± 6.1 days, and the total cost of inpatient antimicrobial therapy to the health system was $1,698.88.ConclusionA pharmacist-driven PST service was successfully implemented in a community hospital setting.© American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2019. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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