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Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis is the use of antimicrobials to prevent infections that may occur as a result of a surgical procedure. This page provides information on the appropriateness of this prescribing.

This page includes links to Australian and international resources  to support antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs in health service organisations and in aged care and primary care. AMS programs help to improve patient safety and in the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Antimicrobial Stewardship in Australian Health Care (the AMS Book), initially published in 2018, continues to be updated and enhanced with additional evidence, information, and topic areas to inform antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) strategies, interventions, and implementation across a range of healthcare settings.

High risk medicines (HRMs) are medications that have an increased risk of causing significant patient harm or death if they are misused or used in error.¹

This page includes information on infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies for carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) and links to additional resources.

World AMR Awareness Week is held from 18 to 24 November each year.

The Commission and NPS MedicineWise have collaborated to develop a series of e-learning modules on antimicrobial prescribing.

These posters show the key steps for standard precautions and when caring for patients who require transmission-based precautions, due to a known or suspected infection.

The Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare was jointly developed by the Commission and the NHMRC. The Guidelines, together with Commission guidance for specific organisms, provide healthcare workers and health service organisations with support to develop tailored local protocols and processes for infection prevention and control.

The Commission has developed a suite of eLearning modules on hand hygiene and infection prevention and control.

Antimicrobial stewardship includes the range of activities that promote and support optimal antimicrobial prescribing and use. The aim of the Commission’s work on antimicrobial stewardship is to improve the safe and appropriate use of antimicrobials, reduce patient harm and prevent and contain antimicrobial resistance in Australia.

Hand hygiene is a fundamental part of patient care to prevent the spread of infections and contamination of the healthcare environment.

Contact the NHHI Help Desk for support with the NHHI Learning Management System (LMS) and the Hand Hygiene Compliance Application (HHCApp).