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Updates

New content updates

Our available guidelines are always growing with the below coming soon:
  • Respiratory guidelines
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health guidelines
  • New Sleep Disorder guidelines

Release: August 2026

Updated guidelines
Other practice-changing updates
Antibiotic
  • Septic bursitis
    • Aetiology and diagnosis of septic bursitis has been updated to reflect evidence that when septic bursitis is suspected, bursal aspiration is preferred. However, for select patients (eg mild septic bursitis without systemic symptoms), empirical antibiotic therapy can be considered without bursal aspiration.
    • Empirical therapy for septic bursitis without systemic symptoms in patients who have had a severe (immediate or delayed) hypersensitivity reaction to a penicillin has been updated with additional treatment options, reflecting national resistance rates for Staphylococcus aureus and approach for other infections. For these patients, doxycycline or trimethoprim + sulfamethoxazole are equal first‑line options, with clindamycin second‑line.
  • Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV
    • Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV has been updated in response to the National PrEP Guidelines Update:Prevent HIV by Prescribing PrEP, developed by ASHM in 2025.
    • Suitability criteria for HIV PrEP have been updated for heterosexual people, transgender and gender diverse people, and people who inject drugs, specifically around HIV acquisition risk in the previous 3 months and expected risk in the next 3 months.
    • Eligibility for on-demand HIV PrEP has been broadened, which can now be used by cis-gender men regardless of the sex of their sexual partners, and trans and gender diverse people assigned male at birth who are not taking estradiol-based hormone therapy.
    • New prescribing considerations and monitoring advice have been added for people with hepatitis B infection, including a different approach for previously undiagnosed versus known infection, updated criteria for on-demand PrEP eligibility, and additional monitoring during and after treatment.
    • Advice on stopping daily HIV PrEP has been revised, with cisgender men and other people assigned male at birth who are not taking estradiol-based hormones now able to stop 48 hours after their last at-risk exposure, while other people should continue for at least 28 days after their last potential exposure.
Diabetes
  • Preprocedural management of GLP-1 receptor agonists and GLP-1/GIP coagonists
    • The Periprocedural management of adults with diabetes topic has been updated with new advice on preprocedural management of adults with diabetes who are taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist or GLP-1/GIP coagonist. For these patients, GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP therapy should be continued, with a risk mitigation approach used to prevent pulmonary aspiration.
Neurology Respiratory
  • Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
    • Guidance on diagnosing and managing allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) has been updated to align with the latest International Society for Human and Animal Mycology guidelines. The topic now features a new diagnostic flowchart and revised drug therapy advice.
Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Choice of contraceptive method
  • Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs)
    • Advice on opt-out routine testing for sexually transmissible infections before starting an IUD adds in testing for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C (in line with recommendations from the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine). Testing for Mycoplasma genitalium or for bacterial vaginosis in asymptomatic patients is not advised.
  • Depot medroxyprogesterone contraception (DMPA)
    • New precautions for depot medroxyprogesterone (DMPA) use, based on a small increase in venous thromboembolic (VTE) risk, include positive antiphospholipid antibodies, known thrombogenic mutations, or being postpartum and having additional risk factors for VTE. Chronic kidney disease has also been added as a precaution because of concerns about the impact of DMPA on bone health.
  • Combined hormonal contraception
  • Progestogen-only oral contraception
    • Avoid use of the drospirenone POP in severe chronic kidney disease or acute kidney failure. Caution is required if other factors increase risk of hyperkalaemia.
  • Emergency contraception
    • A revised table comparing oral emergency contraceptives includes reassurance that breastfeeding does not need to be interrupted after a single dose of ulipristal acetate emergency contraception.
  • Infertility
    • A new section highlights how to locate advice on the use of medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding, both within Therapeutic Guidelines and via external links.
    • Indications to consider referral for fertility preservation now include a diagnosis of endometriosis or planned surgery to treat it. A link to the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Technology Association website explains fertility preservation options (eg freezing sperm, oocytes, ovarian tissue).
    • Advice on opt-out routine testing for sexually transmissible infections during investigations for infertilit adds in testing for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C (in line with recommendations from the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine). Testing for Mycoplasma genitalium or for bacterial vaginosis in asymptomatic patients is not advised.
  • Heavy menstrual bleeding
    • Advice on management of acute severe heavy uterine bleeding no longer recommends second-line use of a combined oral contraceptive. The change has been made due to concerns about venous thromboembolic risk with high-dose estrogen use.

Update: 20 July 2026

Antibiotic guidelines

Update: June 2026

Updated guidelines

The June 2026 release of Therapeutic Guidelines includes updates across several clinical areas, including Respiratory and Sexual and Reproductive Health. These updates reflect Therapeutic Guidelines’ transition to a living guidelines approach optimised for the point-of-care.

Practice-changing updates

Antibiotic guidelines
  • Following the release of the latest Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia (AURA) Report, the Shigella enteritis (shigellosis) topic has been updated to emphasise the increasing resistance to third‑generation cephalosporins among Shigella strains in Australia.
  • The Investigations for STIs topic has been updated; key changes are:
    • removing the recommendation to test for hepatitis A.
    • adding an explanatory footnote for hepatitis B vaccination.
    • including the recommendation to test for hepatitis C in patients with risk factors.
  • Management of suspected or confirmed exposure to HIV has been updated in response to the recent revision of the Australian National Guidelines for Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) After Non-Occupational and Occupational Exposure to HIV developed by ASHM. Key changes are:
    • an updated HIV antibody/antigen testing schedule for exposed people when the source is HIV antibody/antigen positive, or HIV antibody/antigen negative and likely to be in the window period.
    • updated PEP recommendations for people 16 years and older with suspected or confirmed exposure to HIV.
    • removal of the very high prevalence population category.
    • inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in the high-prevalence population category.
    • clarification that PEP is not recommended when the source has unknown HIV status and is not from a high-prevalence population.
    • new advice on community prescribing and access, including that a 2-drug PEP regimen can be prescribed on a private prescription.
    • new advice on managing requests for PEP when transmission risk is low and PEP is not recommended.
    • a cross-reference to paediatric guidance for children younger than 16 years.
  • Advice about the management of diphtheria has been updated in response to outbreaks occurring in Australia. New advice about the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of cutaneous diphtheria is included. Guidance on the following topics has been revised:
    • Respiratory guidelines
    • Allergen immunotherapy can be an effective treatment option for some people with allergic rhinitis. Recommendations on when to refer people for consideration of allergen immunotherapy have been updated.
    • Updated advice on cough in adults includes:
      • expanded red flag features, which now include any history of smoking or use of e-cigarettes.
      • updated wording on the role of inhaled therapies in chronic cough.
      • updated guidance on the management of refractory chronic cough.
    • Monoclonal antibody therapies can be considered by a specialist to treat chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.
    Sexual and Reproductive Health guidelines

    Update: April 2026

    Updated guidelines

    Other practice-changing updates

    Antibiotic guidelines

    To read more on individual Antibiotic topic updates for the 2026 content release please explore our user-friendly guide available in the app.

    Liver Disorders guidelines
    Screening and prophylaxis advice for patients at risk of hepatitis B has been expanded. These recommendations apply to patients:
    • taking immunomodulatory drugs
    • receiving chemotherapy or chimerical antigen receptor (CAR) cellular therapy
    • who have received a solid organ transplant or a haematopoietic stem cell transplant
    To support application of the recommendations, tables summarising the risk of reactivation in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies and the management of patients based on their risk of reactivation have been included.
    Pain and Analgesia guidelines
    Moderate and severe acute nociceptive pain advice has been updated to more clearly reinforce key principles that support safer use of analgesics, including:
    • pain assessment informing management
    • starting analgesics at the lower end of the dose range
    • tailoring dosing in specific patient groups (eg adults who have frailty or cachexia)
    • assessing for signs of opioid-induced ventilatory impairment and adjusting subsequent dosing
    • adhering to safe use of opioids
    • treating pain in an appropriate setting (eg severe acute pain should be managed in hospitals or ambulance services with staffing and resources that allow immediate resuscitation of a patient with opioid-induced ventilatory impairment)
    Psychotropic guidelines
    Clonazepam recommendations have been updated, with new advice emphasising that the oral liquid formulation should only be used when tablets are not suitable – because of the higher risk of dose errors – and now include specific administration instructions for the liquid. The following topics have been updated:
    For guidelines updates from 2021 - 2025 view this page.
    For guidelines updates from 2019 - 2020 view this page.