Consumer activities on antimicrobial resistance in Australia.

The focus of this article is the role of consumer education campaigns in Australia and overseas as an important step in helping people develop a more considered use of antibiotics. Evidence of the success of campaigns in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom is presented. On the basis of this evidence, the paper argues that education campaigns are central to reducing inappropriate antibiotic use and lowering the chances of antibiotic resistance building up in the populations of developed countries.