ANTIBIOTIC prescriptions in Australia have increased, antibiotic resistance is on the up, and less than half the antibiotics given after surgeries were appropriate, according to the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC)'s report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health (AURA report) released today.
Based on 2022-24 data from hospitals, aged care settings and the wider community, figures show that 23.2 million antibiotic prescriptions were supplied to about 37.1% of Australians under the PBS, a 4.8% increase from 2023.
A 25.2% increase in reports of critical antibiotic resistance was also reported in that same period.
It showed that 88.1% of 'last-line' antibiotics were prescribed appropriately in hospitals, but only 45% of antibiotics given after surgeries were deemed appropriate.
Meanwhile in aged care facilities, 14.4% more antimicrobials were prescribed to older Australians in residential aged care in 2024 than in 2023, while 34.7% of antibiotics prescribed were used for prolonged periods (over six months).
A CDC spokesperson said the findings showed there were key areas of significant concern.
"The fact that in Australia, cases of critical antimicrobial resistance increased by 25% in 2024 and less than half of the antibiotics given after surgeries were appropriate, shows the need for us to focus our attention a lot more strongly in targeted areas," they said.
"Encouragingly, overall antibiotic use in Australia is almost 21% lower than a decade ago, and 'last-line' antibiotics used to treat life-threatening infections are still being carefully dispensed in hospitals.
"However, there appears to be less caution when prescribing antibiotics that are considered to have a lower risk of promoting resistance, resulting in their more frequent use even in situations where there is no clear benefit."
The report noted that many antimicrobial stewardship programs are working well, but prescribing practices vary significantly across settings, and improvements in some areas are not keeping pace with emerging resistance.
The report is available HERE. KB
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 17 Feb 26
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 17 Feb 26
