Sydney  - Australian doctors working up to 72 hours at a stretch are being urged by their employers to drink six cups of coffee a day to stay awake.

The main doctors' lobby group slammed the advice Tuesday, saying the excessive caffeine consumption recommended by the Queensland Health Department would put the lives of patients at risk.

Australian Medical Association Chairman Andrew Pesce said the proper response to fatigue was a shorter working week.

"It would be hard for me to be convinced that caffeine that makes you feel less tired is going to necessarily improve your performance," he said. "We should be focusing on a fundamentally safe rostering system and an acknowledgment that certain minimum number of hours of sleep is what is necessary to maximize performance." (dpa)