The majority of antimicrobial use in Australia occurs in the community, that is in general practice, community health services, aged care homes and other non-hospital settings.
Quality statement 2 - Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard
When a patient is prescribed an antimicrobial, this is done in accordance with the current Therapeutic Guidelines or evidence-based, locally endorsed guidelines and the antimicrobial formulary.
AGAR collects, analyses and reports on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data on selected priority organisms that cause bloodstream infections.
Prior to the release of the Fifth Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health (AURA 2023) in November 2023, there were four AURA reports dating from 2016 and a 2015 preliminary report that set the baseline for monitoring of trends over time. The AURA reports highlight areas where future work would inform action to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Quality statement 7 - Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard
A patient prescribed an antimicrobial has regular clinical review of their therapy, with the frequency of review dependent on patient acuity and risk factors. The need for ongoing antimicrobial use, appropriate microbial spectrum of activity, dose, frequency and route of administration are assessed and adjusted accordingly. Investigation results are reviewed promptly when they are reported.
Quality statement 3 - Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard
When an adverse reaction (including an allergy) to an antimicrobial is reported by a patient or recorded in their healthcare record, the active ingredient(s), date, nature and severity of the reaction are assessed and documented. This enables the most appropriate antimicrobial to be used when required.
