Monitoring and control of antibiotic resistance
Factors contributing to the prevention of development and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria include prudent use of antibiotics and effective infection control practices.
Activities to monitor and control antibiotic resistant bacteria in New Zealand health services include Infection control and antibiotic prescribing policies and monitoring of antibiotic resistant bacteria:
Infection control and antibiotic prescribing policies
All hospitals and health services in New Zealand are expected to have infection control policies and consistent standards for patient safety.
Each public hospital has its own infection control committee. These infection control committees provide feedback to clinicians and give advice on care of the patient and control of infection within the hospital and the community.
The standards require a hospital have a documented policy on antibiotic use. The Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 requires all hospital, rest home and disability residential care services to be audited by a designated audit agency and to be certified by the Director General of Health by 1 October 2004.
Hospitals are audited at least three yearly against the NZS 8134:2001 Health and Disability Sector Standard and the NZS 8142:2000 Infection Control.
Guidelines for the Control of Multidrug-resistant Organisms in New Zealand
Guidelines for the control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureas in New Zealand
These guidelines can be used by individual health and disability care facilities to develop their own MRSA policies.
Monitoring of antibiotic resistant bacteria
Each public hospital laboratory and some community laboratories monitor antibiotic resistance in their local area and hospital laboratories report to the Ministry, via the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), positive tests for antibiotic resistant bacteria, identifying both the strain of bacteria responsible and the number of infections.
Not all positive tests for antibiotic resistant bacteria are a result of an infection. People can be colonised by bacteria which are present on or in the body without causing illness. Infection is likely only when a person is more vulnerable due to age or poor general health.
Statistics collected in New Zealand are usually for positive tests, that is the number of people with bacteria present. Positive tests include people colonised as well as people suffering illness caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Page last updated: 15 December 2011
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