The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy

As of May 2008 there are now four versions of ACTION PLANS available from www.allergy.org.au the website of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA):

	Action Plan anaphylaxis (personal) 624.49 Kb (red) - to be completed by a doctor
	Action Plan anaphylaxis (general) 710.90 Kb (orange) - for use as a poster or in first aid kits
	Action Plan insect allergy (personal) 679.71 Kb (yellow) - to be completed by a doctor
	Action Plan allergic reactions (personal) 276.70 Kb (green) - to be completed by a doctor

These revised action plans are colour coded and should be printed from the website in colour, if possible.  They can be used in Australia or New Zealand as they each contain both Ambulance phone numbers. If the older version of action plan is still in use it does not have to be replaced immediately as the information is still valid. It should be replaced when the person is next reviewed by their doctor.

The following are the most frequently asked questions and answers regarding the ASCIA action plans.

Q: Can schools or parents complete an ASCIA Action Plan for their students or children? 

A: No, the Action Plans have been developed by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) as medical documents and must be completed, signed and dated by the patient's medical doctor.  If copies are required then the original signed copy can be photocopied. 

Q: Is it possible to obtain an electronic copy of the ASCIA Action Plans so that a student's photo and information can be inserted by school staff? 

A: No.  The ASCIA Action Plans have been developed in a PDF format to ensure the documents are concise (A4 size), consistent (changes could not be made) and easily understood, for use throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Q: How often does an ASCIA Action Plan need to be updated? 

A: ASCIA Action Plans should be reviewed when patients are reassessed by their doctor, and each time they obtain a new EpiPen prescription.   If there are no changes in diagnosis or management the medical information on the Action Plan may not need to be updated.   If the patient is a child, the photo should be updated at least every two years, so that the child can be easily identified.

Q: The ASCIA Action Plans on the ASCIA website www.allergy.org.au are copyrighted. Does this mean that we can't print them out and make copies? 

A: ASCIA Action Plans can be printed off the website and/or photocopied without infringement of the copyright.

ASCIA recommends that the Action Plans are printed in colour, if possible, as they are colour coded.         

Q: Can an organisation obtain an EpiPen for their first aid room or kit and if so, do they require an Ac Ation Plan ?

A: EpiPens can be purchased without a prescription from pharmacies.

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) has not yet developed guidelines regarding the inclusion of EpiPens in first aid kits, mainly due to the inconsistency of rules regarding inclusion of medications in first aid kits, which vary throughout Australia and New Zealand.  However the ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis (general) has been developed for use as a poster or as an instruction guide to include in first aid kits which include an EpiPen, as we are aware that some organisations choose to purchase a spare EpiPen for their first aid kit.    

ASCIA cannot advise on this practice as currently there are no ASCIA guidelines in place.

Q: Where can we go to obtain further resources?

A: Patient information is available from the ASCIA website www.allergy.org.au.           

Resources are also available from Anaphylaxis Australia www.allergyfacts.org.au and Allergy New Zealand www.allergy.org.nz which are the national patient support groups for Australia and New Zealand.

Anaphylaxis Australia and some government websites also have information translated into several languages.

This document was last updated in May 2008.