Study finds telemedicine use linked to lower antibiotic prescribing
Greater use of telemedicine in Australia, also known as telehealth or virtual medical care, may be helping to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, according to new research analysing national Medicare data.
The study, conducted by researchers from the Melbourne Institute, Monash University, University of Technology Sydney and Deakin University, found that general practitioners (GPs) who adopted telemedicine more intensively during and after the COVID-19 pandemic prescribed around 5 per cent fewer antibiotics per 100 consultations than their peers.
Importantly, the reduction did not come at the expense of prescribing quality. Measures of low-value antibiotic use, including prescriptions for respiratory tract infections and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, were similar between high and low telemedicine users.
The findings address long-standing concerns that remote consultations could encourage defensive or ‘just in case’ prescribing. Instead, the researchers suggest telemedicine may allow GPs greater flexibility to schedule follow-up appointments, improve consultation efficiency, and reduce perceived pressure from patients, all of which may support more appropriate prescribing.
“Video and phone appointments are not the perfect substitute for face-to-face medical appointments and clinicians may face other challenges when treating patients remotely, but our findings suggest telemedicine can play a positive role in improving prescribing practices, particularly for patients with less severe symptoms who may be more comfortable accessing care remotely”, co-author Dr Susan Méndez said.
Telemedicine expanded rapidly during the early stages of the pandemic following changes to Medicare, with around 25 million remote GP consultations delivered between March and September 2020. While use has since stabilised, telemedicine is now a routine feature of primary care, accounting for approximately one in seven consultations nationwide.
With antimicrobial resistance recognised as a major global public health challenge, even modest reductions in unnecessary antibiotic use can have meaningful population-level benefits.
Full reference: Avdic D, Kunz JS, Méndez SJ, Wiśniewska M. Does telemedicine technology affect prescribing quality in primary care? The case of antibiotics. November 2025. Accepted for publication. Journal of Health Economics.