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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Politics
Melissa Davey Medical editor

Australia’s overuse of antibiotics found to be driving rate of drug-resistant infections

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics and antifungals is driving bugs to mutate so that common drugs are no longer effective to kill them, a phenomenon known as antimicrobial resistance
The misuse and overuse of antibiotics and antifungals is driving bugs to mutate so that common drugs are no longer effective to kill them, a phenomenon known as antimicrobial resistance. Photograph: Kirsty O’Connor/PA

Australia’s continued overuse of antibiotics is driving common and potentially dangerous infections to become increasingly resistant to drugs, including last resort treatments.

A major government report on antimicrobial use, published on Wednesday, found more than one-third (36.6%) of the population had at least one antimicrobial prescription subsidised by the Australian government in 2022, up from 32.9% in 2021.

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