Drugs are Being Incorrectly Prescribed Across Australia
In Australia, more than 11 million people -- half the entire population -- were prescribed drugs in 2014 to fight off various infections.
According to AU News, a large portion of those prescriptions was inappropriately given to patients. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality Health Care (ACSQHC) found that many of these prescriptions did not comply with hospital and healthcare guidelines.
These antimicrobial drugs can potentially save someone's life if prescribed correctly. If these drugs are incorrectly prescribed, however, severe problems can occur.
The Mercury reports that Australia now has the highest rate in the world of vancomycin resistant enterococcus faecium, or VRE, a superbug resulting from medication overuse.
"Antibiotic resistance has developed because of...