Australia could be on the brink of a significant health crisis as the availability of essential medical treatments becomes increasingly scarce.

With many Australians relying on these treatments to manage their conditions, the growing shortage is raising alarm bells across the country.

This potential health disaster is prompting urgent discussions about how to address the looming challenge before it spirals out of control.


When health psychologist Jane Fletcher entered the hospital for routine surgery, she never anticipated leaving with a superbug and a firsthand experience of the ‘silent pandemic’.

She contracted antibiotic-resistant golden staph, becoming one of the tens of thousands of Australians affected yearly by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that no longer respond to treatment.

‘It’s quite petrifying, really,’ Ms Fletcher remarked.


At 56, she has been immunocompromised since undergoing a double lung transplant and is accustomed to dealing with various infections.

However, living with the superbug known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been an entirely different experience.

‘Once you have a superbug, that never goes away, and that is a label that stays with you forever,’ Ms Fletcher shared.


By 2050, it's projected that 10 million people worldwide will die annually due to antimicrobial resistance.

With the development of new treatments slowing down and bacteria growing more resistant to existing medications, the threat is becoming increasingly dire.

‘It’s probably quite likely that we will come to the end of the antibiotic era in the coming decades unless there are significant new scientific advances,’ Microbiologist and Infectious Diseases Physician Associate Professor Norelle Sherry said.

‘Antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, is a huge silent pandemic that is not talked about enough globally or here in Australia.’

‘We’re seeing increasing rates of antibiotic resistance in bacteria that really threaten human health,’ she added.

The scientist from the World Health Organisation's Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance at the Doherty Institute warned that superbugs acquired in the wider Asia-Pacific region, including a drug-resistant strain of gonorrhoea, pose a significant threat to national health security.


Ms Sherry noted that the remaining ‘last resort’ antibiotics are used sparingly because of their severe side effects, the high costs to the health system, and concerns that these medications might also become ineffective soon.

‘We are literally getting to the stage where there are very few or no antibiotics that we can treat patients with and this is, this is the potential disaster that we are all very concerned about,’ she explained.

National strategies to combat resistance in humans and animals have emphasised the urgent need for more data collection on superbugs, along with a strong focus on encouraging clinicians to use medications judiciously.

Many infectious disease specialists and some pharmaceutical companies are also pushing for Australia to adopt a UK-style subscription funding model to incentivise drug companies to invest more in developing new treatments.


According to Anne Harris, managing director of Pfizer Australia and New Zealand, the market for research and development in antimicrobials is ‘broken’.

Unlike other medications, which typically cost $2 billion to develop and require years of widespread use to become profitable, antimicrobial medicines must be used sparingly, complicating their financial viability.

‘What it means is you never get the return back on your research, development, manufacturing, et cetera, and so what is really going to be required…is to have more novel ways of funding antimicrobials,’ she stated.

This week, the pharmaceutical giant announced a $150 million upgrade to its Mulgrave manufacturing plant, aiming to increase its antimicrobial production in Australia by 30 per cent by 2026, with the medications expected to be distributed across 60 countries.


Federal authorities are currently examining various overseas funding models, and the government is exploring several options as part of a broader health review.

However, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Aged Care stated that no official response has been made yet.

‘It is currently too soon to evaluate how impactful these (subscriptions) models are at stimulating research, development and innovation in antimicrobials,’ they said.

An additional $22.3 million is being allocated over the next four years to the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia surveillance program, with its findings set to guide responses to any misuse.


Mark Schipp, Australian Veterinary Association Board Member and former Chief Veterinary Health Officer noted that the majority of antimicrobial medicines are used in livestock, though superbugs remain relatively uncommon in animals.

He added that most of Australia's livestock is raised in open-air paddocks rather than crowded barns where infections are more likely, though he acknowledged that commercial pressures from the industry can sometimes influence practices.

‘Certainly, there can be a tension, but the role of the veterinarian is to look out for the best interests of the animal and the way to do that is to try and prevent infection in the first place,’ he stated.

According to him, superbugs in animals are typically found in pets that live with their owners.

‘Often they’re very similar infections to what you would expect to see in humans, so skin infections and the like,’ Mr Schipp explained.

‘On occasion, it is that the owner and the animal share infections or share resistances.’


The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has opposed pharmacist-prescribing trials in several states for specific ailments like urinary tract infections, citing concerns that it could contribute to resistance.

Acting Vice President Dr Ramya Raman stressed that while broad-spectrum antibiotics remain valuable when used appropriately, patients should trust their GP's advice if medication isn’t recommended.

She also noted that many people misunderstand the treatment of certain conditions and often seek pills for respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary infections.

‘We’ve got to keep the longer perspective because if a treatment or a medication is actually not going to be helpful in managing that condition, there’s really no use in taking the antibiotic because it might actually just cause unnecessary side effects,’ she advised.


Ms Fletcher has responded well to treatment for her golden staph so far, but she still urged Australians to remain vigilant.

To help prevent the spread, patients with superbugs are isolated, placed under strict infection control measures, and scheduled last on surgery lists.

‘My ability to have an operation in many hospitals is still compromised because I’ll be last on the list because I’ve had MRSA in recent times,’ she said.

Ms Fletcher didn't think there should be tighter restrictions on prescribing antibiotics but emphasised that everyone has a role to play.

She encouraged the public to maintain good hygiene practices, such as regular handwashing.

‘It has to be a community, a government and a big pharma approach,’ she suggested.

‘We have the possibility for people like me to be able to have a stress-free life and not be worried about what new superbugs around the corner.’
Have you or someone you know been affected by the shortage of treatments? What steps have you taken to manage your health during this time? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.