Launch of the NPS Antibiotics Campaign, Parliament House, Canberra
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21 March 2012
Good evening ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for welcoming me to the launch of the NPS’s new consumer health campaign to target the overuse of antibiotics.
I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, and pay my respects to their elders, both past and present.
I’d like to acknowledge the work of the NPS, which has a proud 14-year history of promoting best practice prescription and medicine use among Australian health professionals and consumers.
In recent times, the NPS has assumed a greater public education role to empower Australians to take control of their health and treatment.
However, it remains uncommon for Australians to ask questions about the medicines they take, and often we don’t know that there are other options that they can take.
Many of us aren’t asking our doctors and pharmacists to get the information we need.
Of course, this goes both ways, and health professionals are being encouraged to educate patients about the medicines they prescribe.
As consumers, we need to know if there are other, better choices.
This is particularly important when it comes to antibiotics.
Some health consumers still have an expectation that if they see their GP with a minor throat infection, they’ll get a script for antibiotics and be on their way.
Clearly that sort of thinking needs to change.
The overuse of antibiotics has led to the evolution of strains of bacteria which are resistant to their effects.
These types of bacteria have been coined ‘superbugs’ by some, and they pose a significant threat to the wellbeing of the world population.
Eminent professional organisations across the world have echoed this concern.
The World Health Organisation has described the prospect of weakened antibiotics and resistant bacterial strains as ‘the next global crisis’.
This evening, we launch an important campaign advising health professionals and consumers to stop, think and ask questions about antibiotics and whether it’s the right option for them.
It asks health professionals: are you prescribing antibiotics according to the latest therapeutic guidelines?
Are they the best option for your patient in this situation?
And does your patient understand the risk of antibiotic-resistance if they overuse antibiotics?
To patients, it asks: are you aware of the risks of using antibiotics that you don’t really need?
Are you aware that this can impede your body’s ability to fight a future infection?
Are you using them exactly as prescribed?
And have you checked with your GP or pharmacist if there are other, better options?
The impact on medical history of the discovery of antibacterials like penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 and the development of Prontosil by Bayer Laboratory chemists in the 1930s can’t be overstated.
Few other medical discoveries have had the colossal impact that antibacterial medications have had on the human species.
Millions of lives have been saved by antibiotics and are directly responsible for helping to increase human longevity and improve quality of life for many people.
And they will continue to do so if we treat them with respect, and stay mindful of the need to use them appropriately.
So I’m very pleased that the NPS is taking this leading role to educate both health professionals and consumers about the overuse and misuse of antibiotics here in Australia.
Importantly, the campaign will target specific areas of health where antibiotics can be over-prescribed.
This year the focus is on the prescription of antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections.
Here in Australia, antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections is very high compared to the average prescribing rate in other OECD countries.
Most Australians will have experienced an upper respiratory tract infection during their lives, so targeting this group of infections will engage more people with the campaign.
Importantly, the campaign is being run in two phases: one that targets health professionals, and one that targets patients.
The health professional phase of the campaign is already underway.
It aims to promote best practice for prescribing antibiotics and encourages health professionals to better engage patients about the risk of antibiotic-resistance.
A range of resources and tips has been made available to help them explain the risks to patients and change the antibiotic-seeking culture in Australia.
The consumer phase of the campaign launches next month to encourage all Australians to become ‘antibiotic resistance fighters’.
In the campaign, antibiotic resistance fighters will be ordinary Australians who are prepared to take action to fight the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
They will be people who are committed to using antibiotics only when they really need them and always exactly as directed by their doctor.
They will never pressure their doctor for antibiotics, and they will help stop the spread of infections by staying home from work or school when they are sick.
And they practise good hygiene, such as hand-washing.
Over the years, around 90 per cent of all Australian GPs have been actively involved in one or more educational activities run by the NPS, and I’m confident the antibiotic-resistance campaign will prove equally successful.
Finally this evening, I’d also like to draw attention to another consumer awareness campaign being run by the NPS.
Following its success last year, Medicinewise Week will encourage Australians to stop, think and learn more about the medicines they use.
The campaign helps Australians to identify the active ingredient in the medicines they take and to ask the right questions of their doctor to ensure they are making the best choices for their health.
I congratulate the NPS on these important consumer awareness campaigns that will encourage Australians to learn more about the medicines they are prescribed, and make good choices about their use.
Thank you.
Ends
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