Mounting Health Crisis: Antibiotic Overuse Spurs Rise in Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Australia’s antibiotic use in hospitals is estimated to be nearly three times that of European countries.

A pharmacy technician counts out a prescription of antibiotic pills in Miami, Florida, on Aug. 7, 2007. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Australia’s misuse of antibiotics is fueling the growth of drug-resistant bacteria, posing a growing challenge in treating severe infections, according to a new report from Australia’s Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare.

Senior medical advisor Professor John Turnidge warned: “Antimicrobial-resistant germs pose an alarming health risk because in more serious cases when the drugs don’t work, there may be no antibiotic options left for some patients.”