Antibiotic Prescribing Excellence in Primary Care (APEX PC)
Our goal
To reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for selected common infections to allow Victorians to receive safe and effective antibiotics and prevent of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria change so that they can no longer be killed by antibiotics. This means that antibiotics may not work when they are needed. The more we use antibiotics, the more chances bacteria have of becoming resistant. People with resistant bacteria are at risk of:
- more severe illness or death
- longer treatment times
- more hospital admissions and longer hospital stays
- more medication side effects
- higher treatment costs.
To reduce antibiotic resistance, from June 2024 to December 2025 we are partnering with the University of Melbourne’s Department of General Practice and Primary Care and the National Centre of Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS) to deliver an antibiotic stewardship program for primary care.
Through this program, we will provide Victorian general practitioners (GPs) with automated audit and feedback reporting, supported by antibiotic prescribing best practice guidelines and educational webinars. Together, we will work to reduce antibiotic resistance in Victoria.
For further information about the project, contact QUMImprovement@safercare.vic.gov.au.