Amcon has introduced several new products to coincide with our January/February sales flyer. One of these new items is the Patient Allergy Warning Label (OS-1650). The labels, which are 3” x 2” and sold in packs of 250 are intended to be put on the outside of the patient’s folder or other patient information sheets. The red color of the label allows it to stand out among other patient literature.
So – why the heck would an optometrist or an ophthalmologist need to be aware of a patient’s allergies? This was the question I posed to my ER physician husband. He explained that many of the ophthalmic drugs contain ingredients that are known to cause allergic reactions to some segments of the population.
One example he cited was an allergy to sulfa drugs which afflicts approximately 3% of the population. (In fact he saw someone last night with a sulfa allergy). There are many medications in the broad category of sulfa drugs including the opthalmic drugs sulfacetamide and those with sulfate as part of their ingredients. A typical allergic reaction to sulfa drugs around the eye would be itching and swelling of the eyelids or even the conjunctiva.
Another allergy that would concern an optometrist or and ophthalmologist is an allergy to the extremely common antibiotic, erythromycin. An allergic reaction to this drug would also involve itching and swelling.
Any extra reminder about a patient’s allergies will help reduce the likelihood of a practitioner prescribing a medication that would trigger an allergic reaction. We hope you find these allergy warning labels to be useful and effective.
http://allergies.about.com/od/medicationallergies/a/sulfa.htm
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2000/04/01/erythromycin-1/
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