Media release

In 2017, around one-third of prescriptions for antimicrobials in participating Australian hospitals were assessed as not compliant with treatment guidelines. Almost 1 in 4 antimicrobial prescriptions were assessed as inappropriate.

A new nationally agreed standard of care released today aims to reduce the tens of thousands of Australian lives put at risk each year by largely preventable blood clots, which kill four times more people than road accidents.

The first nationally agreed standard of care for patients undergoing a colonoscopy says the complex procedure should only be offered if the benefits outweigh the risks.

A review of the Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation (AHSSQA) Scheme, released today by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission), identifies improvements to be made to the way that health services are assessed to the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

Carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae (also known as CPE) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae continue to be the most commonly reported organisms with critical resistances to antimicrobials across Australia, according to a national report released today.

A practical resource to support health services deliver better and more appropriate health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was launched today by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) at the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) meeting in Alice Springs.

The number of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea samples reported to health authorities nearly trebled in the six months to September 2017, reinforcing worldwide concern over the spread of this and other types of dangerous drug-resistant bacteria.

An e-module to help clinicians develop their skills in communicating risks and benefits with their patients has been made freely available to all clinicians today.

More than half (60%) of antibiotics given to patients after surgery to prevent infections are prescribed inappropriately, usually because they are not required at all – a situation that may be contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistance.

The latest version of a guide to help hospitals implement electronic prescribing and reduce adverse drug events is being launched today by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

The first nationally agreed standard of care for women experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding says women should be offered less invasive treatments before considering a hysterectomy – a major operation best done only when other treatments are not suitable.

A global drive to reduce medication errors by 50% within five years will be launched in Brisbane today, as part of a new push by the World Health Organization to save lives and reduce the harm caused by medication mix-ups.