Patients should inform their healthcare provider of any prescribed or over-the-counter medication they are taking prior to the test, as well as any other issues (such as diabetes). The physician will discuss with the patient any preparations that are needed prior to the test.

On the day of the test, the procedure will be explained and patients will have the opportunity to ask questions. The medical staff will also ask questions about the patient’s medical history and lifestyle to determine if the patient is taking any medications or has other issues that will interfere with the test's accuracy.

Personal medical histories contain the most important information about a patient’s health history, including:

• Diseases and disorders
• Medications, tests and vaccinations
• Lifestyle issues related to health
• Past hospitalizations and surgeries
• Symptoms that may indicate undiagnosed disorders
• Family history

Detailed documentation can contribute to achieving accurate and useful test results. Patients should especially try to include:

• Specific foods consumed.
  
  
• Places visited often (e.g., garden, farm, woods, construction site, basement).
  
  
• Products used regularly (e.g., soaps, colognes, perfumes, deodorants, cosmetics, detergents, pesticides, household cleaners).
  
  
• Illnesses, health disorders and surgeries and the dates they occurred. Exact diagnoses should also be noted.
  
  
• Job occupation and place of residence.

It may be helpful for a patient to prepare an allergy diary. An allergy diary is a written record of all possible allergens to which a patient has been exposed and the approximate time of exposure. Any symptoms that occur after exposure are recorded, no matter how minor. The nature of symptoms – including severity, duration and evolution – are also recorded. It is important that this information be recorded at the time of allergen exposure, because retrospective diaries often miss valuable information. 

Prior to the test, the physician and patient may selectively choose individual allergens suspected of causing allergies from a wide-ranging list. Groupings of tests can be conducted that focus on specific allergens. For example, nuts and corn or plants such as regional grass and weeds.