A new initiative at the Portage Clinic is helping patients determine whether they're truly allergic to penicillin, potentially opening the door to more effective and affordable treatment options.
The penicillin clinic, led by Dr. Edward Tan, Chief of Staff at Portage Hospital and a physician at the Portage Clinic, is now offering in-house penicillin allergy testing. The service is designed to address what Dr. Tan describes as a widespread but often incorrect assumption.
Previously, residents of Portage la Prairie had to travel to Winnipeg or other Manitoba locations to access this kind of testing. Now, the service is available locally, completely free of charge.
The process involves a two-step approach and takes roughly 90 minutes to complete.
"We give a small loading dose of penicillin to the patient and observe for any immediate reaction," Dr. Tan explained. "If there's no reaction, we proceed with a higher, full dose and continue monitoring. The vast majority of patients have no reaction and can be safely cleared of the allergy."
Safety remains a priority. Patients with a history of severe reactions, such as anaphylaxis or angioedema (swelling of the lips or tongue), are carefully screened and supervised.
"Even then, a lot of what's reported as a severe reaction may not actually be the case when we take a closer history."
The service is available to anyone over 12 months of age.
"We've tested everyone from toddlers to seniors in their 80s, and yes, kids can be tested too. This is especially important because alternative antibiotics for children often taste worse and we all remember the ‘banana medicine’ being the one that wasn't so bad."
Patients can be referred by their family doctor or self-refer if they don't have a primary care provider. The penicillin allergy clinic is also available during the evenings and weekends.
"Just contact the clinic, or email us at allergyclinic@ptgclinic.ca, and our team will reach out. The whole goal is to make this accessible to everyone."