4 Things You Should Always Do If You're Allergic To Antibiotics

Finding out that you are allergic to antibiotics can be bad news, since it can affect the way that you are treated for certain illnesses. It is critical to keep yourself safe when you have this type of allergy, so make sure that you do these four things if you want to avoid a potential allergic reaction.

1. Mention It At Every Appointment Make sure that you mention your allergy at every medical appointment that you attend, even if you have seen the doctor before and have told him or her about your allergy. Even though medical professionals should check your chart for these things, you can never be too careful. This can help you ensure that your doctor does not accidentally give you any antibiotics. Instead, he or she can talk to you about alternative treatments for various ailments that would otherwise require an antibiotic.

2. Carefully Check All Medication Don't assume that all antibiotics come in a pill or liquid form. A lot of other things, such as topical medications, include antibiotics as well. To prevent any potential incidents, it is worth it to carefully check the ingredients list for any medication that you take or use. You can also ask your doctor or your pharmacist if certain medications include antibiotics, just to be on the safe side.

3. Have Your Prescriptions Filled at a Compounding Pharmacy Even though you might not have any problems having your prescriptions filled at a "regular" pharmacy, you should know that antibiotics are commonly handled and filled in your average pharmacy setting. This means that there is a chance that certain work surfaces -- or pharmacists' hands -- are contaminated.

Even though you would probably like to think that there are proper cleaning and hand washing methods in place, it's better to be safe and have your prescriptions filled at a compounding pharmacy like Camelback Pharmacy. Since the pharmacists at these pharmacies are more accustomed to dealing with people who have allergies to certain medications, there is a better chance that certain methods have been employed to prevent contamination.

4. Use Caution When Handling Others' Medication If you find yourself handling other peoples' medications -- such as if you give medicine to your kids or other family members or if you work in the healthcare industry -- you should always use caution when handling antibiotics. Depending on how serious your allergy is, coming in contact with antibiotics without wearing gloves could be harmful.