Improving antibiotic prescribing practices

A need for action: results from the Australian General Practice National

Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey

Researchers from the Department of General Practice at the University of Melbourne, the National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Peter Doherty Institute recently presented their work at the The Australasian Association of Academic Primary Care's Annual Research Conference. The team conducted a pilot audit of systemic antibiotic use in general practice to determine compliance with nationally endorsed Therapeutic Guidelines (TG) and to assess prescribing appropriateness. They identified many targets for improved antibiotic prescribing and identified strategies to implement antimicrobial stewardship.