Drug Allergies

Adverse drug reactions are common, but only 15% are immunologically mediated. As drug use continues to increase, the incidence of drug allergy will also continue to rise. Drug allergies have a significant impact on clinical practice, drug development and public health. One of the significant consequences of allergic drug reactions is causing the use of potentially less effective, more expensive or more toxic drugs in the future. The symptoms may be life threatening. The diagnosis of drug allergies relies on clinical histories, skin tests and a very few validated in-vitro tests. Education of the patient and primary care physician is an important component of management. This article reviews the current understanding in the mechanisms and recognizing methods of drug allergy and the management of patients.