The Montefiore Drug Allergy Center was originally founded by Dr. Elina Jerschow, MD, MS and is now being led by Dr. Jessica Oh, MD.
Drug Allergy Evaluations & Management
Director
Jessica Oh, MD Obtaining a detailed history of each drug reaction is the first critical step of drug allergy evaluation and management. Drug allergy reactions are classified as either immediate (within ~4 hours of exposure) or delayed. Furthermore, not all adverse reactions to drugs are classified as an “allergy.” At the Montefiore Drug Allergy Center, a detailed history is obtained to classify every drug reaction and determine the most appropriate testing for each patient.
The Montefiore Drug Allergy Center offers extensive testing to correctly determine whether a patient is allergic to a particular drug. Skin prick, intradermal, and patch testing may be used to test for allergic sensitivity; in vitro blood testing may be implemented in certain cases. Depending on skin testing results, a patient may qualify for an in-office challenge to the medication to solidify a diagnosis. If the patient is found to be allergic to a medication, individualized drug desensitization procedures can be designed to induce a state of tolerance in the immune system to the medication.
Outpatient Chemotherapy & Biologic Desensitization Program
The Montefiore Drug Allergy Center also offers outpatient management of patients allergic to chemotherapy and biologic agents. Once a patient is determined to be allergic to a chemotherapy or biologic agent, they may qualify for a procedure called desensitization. Desensitization is a procedure that slowly and methodically introduces a medication to a patient over many hours to induce a state of temporary tolerance. This allows many patients who have drug allergy to complete their life-saving treatment regimen in a safe, physician-supervised outpatient setting.
The following chemotherapy and biologic agents are currently available for outpatient desensitization:
- Abatacept
- Carboplatin
- Cisplatin
- Cyclophosphamide
- Docetaxel
- Doxorubicin
- Gemcitabine
- Infliximab
- Oxaliplatin
- Paclitaxel
- Rituximab
- Trastuzumab
Helpful Resources for Patients with Drug Allergies