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The findings of a real-world study of a virtual paediatric adverse drug reaction (ADR) clinic, based in London, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic, reveal that telemedicine was able to efficiently assess and triage children with suspected ADRs.
Publishing their findings in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology on 24 May 2026, researchers observed that between 2020 and 2023, the clinic assessed 225 ADRs, with an average referral time of 23 days.
Three-quarters (77%) of ADRs assessed by the clinic were in relation to antibiotics — including drugs in the penicillin and lincomycin family — while anticonvulsant drugs (e.g. lamotrigine, ethosuximide, carbamazepine) were involved in 3% of ADRs, antipyretics (i.e. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in 2% and routine vaccinations in 4%, the study results show.
The researchers also found that the clinic demonstrated success in allergy de-labelling, with further testing recommended for nearly 9 in 10 patients (89.3%).
Of those with results available at the time of the study, almost one-fifth of patients (17%) tested positive for an allergy, while 44% tested negative, they noted.
Almost all (95%) of patient families referred to the virtual clinic reported a high level of satisfaction with the service, as did 93% of referring physicians, according to the study results.
The researchers also found that the virtual clinic was able to reach patients outside of its immediate vicinity, with nearly one-quarter (23%) of patients living in distant urban areas and over one-fifth (21%) living in distant rural areas.
Amira Guirguis, chief scientist at the Royal College of Pharmacy, commented: “ADRs in children can be complex to assess and timely access to expert advice is important for patients and families.
“Virtual services may help improve access to specialist expertise, particularly for people living in underserved or remote communities. Pharmacists already play an important role in identifying suspected ADRs and supporting the safe use of medicines, including helping to assess and clarify suspected medicine allergies.
“While further research is needed to understand how similar models could work within the UK, these findings contribute to wider discussions around improving access to medicines expertise and patient safety services.”
Publishing their findings in the same journal on 20 May 2026, researchers analysed children’s electronic medical records to identify children with a possible or probable antibiotic allergy, which may have been previously undiagnosed.
The results of the ‘ALABAMA’ study, published in The Lancet Primary Care in 2025, showed that as many as nine in ten people (88%) with a penicillin allergy on their medical records may not be truly allergic.
