Report confirms needs for cautious approach to prescribing rights
A report released by the Australian Centre for Disease Control this week highlights the need for caution in expanding prescribing rights and for improved stewardship practices in Australia together with education and training.
The CDC’s report — the Sixth Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health — provides the latest use data on antibiotic resistance and found reports of critical antibiotic resistance rose by 25.2 per cent in 2024.
The AMA has advocated for improved antimicrobial stewardship practices in Australia, education and training, and clinical decision support tools to support all sectors. And we have highlighted the need for caution in expanding prescribing rights.
In a media statement for World Anti-Microbial Resistance Awareness Week, AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen highlighted the urgency of the issue.
"Beyond human health, the overuse of antimicrobials in agriculture — and their release into the environment — are major contributors to resistance, with resistant bacteria able to spread from farms and food systems into communities,” Dr McMullen said.
“While every sector must act, the medical profession has a vital role to play in leading stewardship efforts and safeguarding the effectiveness of these life‑saving medicines."
The AMA continues to caution against policy decisions that could worsen the problem, such as expanding prescribing rights to non-medical professionals without appropriate safeguards, adding that while antibiotics are vital to modern medicine, they must be prescribed carefully and responsibly.
The CDC report brings together 2022–24 data from hospitals, aged care settings and the wider community to provide a comprehensive picture of how antibiotics are being used and where resistance is emerging.
It says that in 2024, 23.2 million antibiotic prescriptions were supplied to 37.1 per cent of Australians under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, a 4.8 per cent increase from 2023.
