COMMUNITY pharmacists take their responsibilities under the Act seriously, and should at all times comply with guidelines jointly developed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Guild has said in a formal statement.
The Guild was responding to a warning from peak employer body the Australian Industry Group (AIG) which earlier this week expressed scepticism about the validity of absence-from-work certificates issued by pharmacists - and mainstream media reports criticising advertising of $20 sick notes from Chemist Warehouse.
Guild president George Tambassis noted that the Fair Work Act has made pharmacist-generated certificates legal for almost a decade.
"Under the guidelines, the issuing of an absence from work certificate must be within the scope of practice of the pharmacist, acting within their competency and professional expertise.
"Pharmacists need to carefully consider whether or not the illness or injury that is the subject of the certificate is within their recognised area of practice," Tambassis said.
"Given the waiting time that might be required for a doctor's appointment, the fact that workers who are legitimately ill or injured can obtain an absence from work certificate more conveniently at a pharmacy is actually a plus for productivity, not a minus," he said.
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