Background: Drug tolerance tests (DTTs) are commonly used to find a safe therapeutic alternative for patients with previous type B adverse drug reactions (ADRs), but few studies on safety and reliability are available. Methods: We retrospectively studied 739 subjects with previous ADRs who underwent DTTs; 12 months after the test, use of the tested drug(s) and occurrence of ADRs were investigated in 260 of them. Results: ADRs to antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were the main reasons for which DTTs were requested. 925 DTTs were performed in the 739 patients, with 97 ADRs. Twelve months after the test, 125/260 patients interviewed had used the tested drug(s): 118 of them experienced no ADR, 4 experienced ‘true’ ADRs, and 3 reported predictable/unclear reactions. Conclusion: Our data show that DTTs are safe and reliable at 1 year, but patients and general practitioners do not trust them. It is strongly advisable to have better information on methods, benefits, risks and reliability of DTTs.

Keywords:
Adverse drug reactions, Drug tolerance test, Allergy
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© 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel
2011
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