The Penicillin Allergy Verification and Evaluation Act
AAAAI-led Penicillin Allergy Bill
The Penicillin Allergy Verification and Evaluation Act (H.R. 5736) fights antimicrobial resistance and improves patient outcomes. Although millions of patients report a penicillin allergy, studies show that more than 90% of can safely take penicillin. Removing the penicillin allergy label from the patient’s record is relatively simple and can significantly expand safe, effective treatment options.
The bill focuses on Medicare beneficiaries who have a self-reported penicillin allergy in their medical record. It would incorporate penicillin allergy evaluation into Medicare’s Initial Preventative Physical Exam (IPPE) and Annual Wellness Visit (AWV).
Latest Update on the Bill
On November 20, 2025, the act was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, and several bipartisan co-sponsors. Photo shows from left to right: Allison Ramsey, MD, FAAAAI, At-Large Member; Frank S. Virant, MD, FAAAAI, AAAAI President; Leonard B. Bacharier, MD, FAAAAI, Secretary-Treasurer
Our Partners
• Allergy & Asthma Network
• American Academy of Emergency Medicine
• American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy
• American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
• American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
• American College of Physicians
• American Gastroenterological Association
• American Geriatrics Society
• American Medical Association
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Diseases
• Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team
• Food Allergy Research & Education
• Infectious Diseases Society of America
• Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome
• The Mast Cell Disease Society
• Peggy Lillis Foundation
What Difference Does it Make?
Patients who undergo penicillin allergy testing often describe it as life-changing. After testing negative, many gain access to safer, more effective antibiotics, sometimes after carrying the label for decades.
“After a lifetime of being told that I was allergic to penicillin (I had a reaction when I was a young child), I decided to have myself tested for the allergy at the age of 69. I knew testing if I tested negative, it would open myself up to other antibiotic options as I got older. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that I tested negative for a penicillin allergy! I am hoping that my two brothers will test themselves since as children into adulthood they too were told they were allergic to penicillin due to the fact that I had the reaction. So glad that I tested!” - Karen K.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve told every doctor, dentist and pharmacist that I’m allergic to penicillin. It was something my mother told me, and it followed me through life. Earlier this year, I learned I am not allergic to penicillin. The irony is that only a few weeks earlier, I had been hospitalized with sepsis from a bacterial infection. Because of the allergy label, the doctors had to avoid penicillin and use broader antibiotics. This experience completely changed how I think about medical assumptions. One outdated note in a chart can follow you for a lifetime, but one simple test can change everything. If you carry the “penicillin allergy” label, don’t accept it. Get tested. You might find out, like I did, that you are not allergic after all.” - Steven F.
“My primary care physician recommended I take an antibiotic allergy test to determine if I continue to be allergic to penicillin antibiotics, which I had reacted to decades ago. I witnessed my elderly mother, who also had a history of penicillin allergy, face limited treatment options in her senior years. I wanted to avoid this if possible. I took a simple and painless test to reveal if I was still reacting to penicillin. I was pleased to learn that I now have no allergic reaction to penicillin. My allergist was able to delabel my outdated allergies on my charts. This will allow improved options for treatment and medications in my future. I am thankful for this testing which will inevitably improve my quality of life.” - Tomi C.
Find Out More About the Importance of Penicillin Allergy Testing
• Visit the AAAAI Penicillin Allergy Center to access materials for patients and clinicians, including a series of videos describing the process of penicillin allergy testing.
• Listen to AAAAI’s podcast from the Conversations from the World of Allergy series about the importance of proactively delabeling patients with reported penicillin allergy.
• If you would like to discuss penicillin allergy delabeling with an allergist / immunologist, you can locate one in our directory.
For additional information, please contact advocacy@aaaai.org.
Episode 155: Penicillin Allergy Evaluation and Advocacy: How policy can make a difference for our patients 
Improving access to penicillin allergy evaluation for millions of older patients would lead to better antibiotic treatment, decreased surgical site infections and fewer cases of C. diff. The Penicillin Allergy Verification and Evaluation Act has the potential to do just this. Priya Bansal, MD, FAAAAI, and Allison Ramsey, MD, FAAAAI, share their valuable insight into the Act and how we can make advocacy a part of our practice. (February 3, 2026)
Listen to the podcast.
2/3/2026