Antimicrobial drug shortages

Antimicrobial drug shortages occur in Australia intermittently. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website has current information on medicine shortages, including options for accessing medicines in a shortage.

Useful resources include:

• National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS) fact sheets about shortages of antimicrobials
• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care information on antimicrobial shortages for:
  • clinicians
  • clinicians working in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector
  • consumers
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers.

In the event of antimicrobial shortages, alternative products may be accessed under Section 19A of the Therapeutic Goods Act. For more information, see the TGA website.