ASCIA has developed new 2023 versions of ASCIA Action Plans for Anaphylaxis, to improve ease of use, which are now available. This is the first major formatting change in 20 years, since ASCIA Action Plans for Anaphylaxis were first introduced in 2003. The plans can be accessed on the ASCIA website:

• www.allergy.org.au/hp/anaphylaxis/ascia-action-plan-for-anaphylaxis
• www.allergy.org.au/hp/ascia-plans-action-and-treatment

Whilst the signs of, and actions for anaphylaxis are unchanged, other updates have been made to improve ease of use:

1. Patient specific details are all completed in the top section.* 
2. Signs of, and actions for mild to moderate allergic reactions are in two easy to follow lists. 
3. Instructions for adrenaline injectors are colour coded.
4. Instructions for both adrenaline injectors are included in the General version of the plan.
5. Device specific versions of the plan for Anapen^® and EpiPen^® include changes 1-3 listed above and a QR code which links to short animated videos with adrenaline injector instructions.

* This formatting may also facilitate use with some EMR systems, subject to approval by ASCIA.  

The format of the following plans have also been updated to be consistent with the 2023 versions of the red ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis:

• ASCIA Action Plan for Allergic Reactions (green)
• ASCIA Action Plan for Drug (Medication) Allergy (dark green)
• ASCIA First Aid Plan for Anaphylaxis (orange)
• ASCIA Travel Plan for People at Risk of Anaphylaxis (red) for use with the red ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis

 A summary of updates is available here.

ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis 2023 - What's New431.38 KB

ASCIA Action Plan Allergic Reactions 2023 - What's New321.66 KB

ASCIA Action Plan Drug Allergy 2023 - What's New338.87 KB

ASCIA First Aid Plan Anaphylaxis 2023 - What's New415.79 KB 

ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses are being updated to include the 2023 versions of the plans, and these will be online in July 2023.

Previous versions of ASCIA Action Plans (2021 and 2022 versions) can still be used in 2023, as we expect that it will take around six  months to phase in the use of the new 2023 plans.

Suppliers of Anapen and EpiPen will be printing the new plans, for prescribers who prefer to complete a printed version.

This news item was issued on 8 May 2023 and updated on 9 June 2023 by Jill Smith, CEO of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). ASCIA is the peak professional body for clinical immunology and allergy in Australia and New Zealand.