Should I get allergy medicine from an allergist instead of my GP?

The first major advantage allergists such as ourselves offer is that we are up on the latest medications targeted at specific conditions. We read the literature on trials, we go to the meetings where these drugs are presented, and we talk with the people at the companies that produce them.

So chances are we have the latest weapons in our arsenal, whereas a busy GP, who has to keep up with developments in a broad array of specialties, won't.

Second of all, because we know the strengths and weaknesses of the full allergy pharmacopoeia, we recognize that there are certain trailing-edge medications that still have their uses for limited purposes.

Another advantage of the allergist's approach to using medications is that we are aware of the chemistry behind a particular medicine and thus might use it in ways that are not enumerated in the Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR) or on the literature from the manufacturer.