When patients are admitted to hospital, check for and clearly document drug

allergies. This documentation should include clinically what happened to the

patient e.g. rash, wheeze, breathing difficulty or collapse etc, and onset of

reaction.

Onset of previous reactions i.e. immediate (< 4 hours) or delayed (>72 hours)

will assist the medical staff in making the appropriate prescribing decisions.

How long ago did this reaction happen?

Ask the patient who told them they were allergic, a response of 'My mother told

me I had a reaction when I was a child', should be documented to allow

appropriate prescribing decisions.

If you are unsure of any response that the patient is giving get someone else

to screen the patient.