As winter sets in and respiratory illnesses surge across Australia, pharmaceutical experts at the University of South Australia are sounding the alarm over the growing misuse of antibiotics – a risky practice that is fuelling the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Superbugs are strains of bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites that have become resistant to the medicines that are designed to kill them, potentially leading to millions of preventable deaths each year.

In 2021 alone, an estimated 4.7 million deaths were linked to bacterial antimicrobial resistance, with more than one million directly attributed to it – a clear warning of the growing global threat.

Now, as cases of flu and RSV soar, UniSA experts are urging families to better understand when and how to use medicines safely, to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use and curb the threat of superbugs.

Dr Tien Bui, a registered pharmacist and Research Fellow at UniSA’s Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, says education is key to preventing antibiotic-resistant infections.

“Superbugs emerge when microorganisms – such as bacteria and viruses – adapt, developing mutations that allow them to survive even the strongest of medicines,” Dr Bui says.

“This often happens when people use antibiotics when they’re not needed, or fail to complete their prescribed course of antibiotics, which speeds up the process of resistance.

“When antibiotic resistance takes hold, standard treatments become ineffective, making infections harder – or even impossible – to treat, increasing the risk of disease, severe illness and death.

“To combat antibiotic resistance, we must take collective responsibility – from better hygiene to smarter medicine use.

“To tackle antibiotic resistance, we need to lift our game – practising good hygiene, staying up to date with vaccinations, and only using antibiotics when they’re truly needed.

“Using antibiotics wisely, by taking the right one, at the right dose, for the right duration, is essential if we want to slow the spread of superbugs.”

Over the past 30 years, medicine use in children has skyrocketed. With prescription rates rising, Dr Bui says it’s more important than ever for families to understand safe and appropriate medicine use, including antibiotics.