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The (RACGP) has spoken out about a Queensland Government trial to relax the dispensing of an antibiotic to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), saying the trial will expose the community to one of the biggest global health risks 鈥� antibiotic-resistant infections.

The Queensland Chair of the RACGP, Dr Bruce Willett, has called for the trial to be put on hold while national reviews around the levels of antibiotics in the community are conducted. He said the trial is bucking global health advice to reduce the level of antibiotics in the community, with experts predicting that global deaths due to superbugs may surge to 10 million a year by 2050 鈥� 22,000 of those from the Oceania region.

鈥淭he science is clear and backed by the United Nations, European Union and the World Health Organization just to name a few 鈥� if we do not reduce the amount of antibiotics used we pose huge risks to our future generations,鈥� Dr Willett said.

鈥淎s doctors, we are seriously concerned about the growing rate of infections that are antibiotic resistant. Already, 1 in 5 UTIs is resistant to the medication this trial is proposing to use.

鈥淚f a patient鈥檚 UTI is resistant to the antibiotic they are using, they can be left with an untreated condition and potentially become susceptible to a superbug.

鈥淭o make things even worse, diagnosing a UTI is not a straightforward matter that can be diagnosed in a pharmacy setting. Many sexually transmitted infections and more serious conditions like diabetes and cancer can masquerade as a UTI, so this trial poses a significant risk to patients鈥� health.

鈥淒octors across the country, including GPs, are collectively reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescribing due to the identified global health risks. We know we don鈥檛 always get it right and we鈥檙e seeking to prescribe less. Introducing more and less experienced prescribers will only exacerbate the current challenges we have with overprescribing.

鈥淲e must see the brakes put on this trial until the 鈥楢ustralia鈥檚 Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2020 and Beyond鈥� has been handed down by the Australian Government鈥檚 Departments of Health and Agriculture.鈥�

Image credit: 漏stock.adobe.com/au/Sasa Komlen