PHARMACIST-ISSUED absence from work certificates are continuing to raise the ire of medical practitioners, with the Australian Medical Association (AMA) again criticising their use.
Responding to a segment about small businesses' concerns about potential misuse of the certificates on the ABC's AM radio program this week, the AMA said, "pharmacists are valuable in their field but they should not dabble in diagnosis.
"A chemist doesn't have the necessary training or expertise to assess what someone's medical problems are," an AMA spokesperson told the program.
A Pharmacy Guild of Australia spokesperson described the AMA's comments as "patronising self-interest".
"Pharmacists have been able to issue absence from work certificates within their scope of practice for almost a decade under Federal law," the Guild said, adding that "under guidelines jointly developed by the Guild and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia this service has been assisting patients as required for many years."
Taking to Twitter, Guild Victorian branch President, Anthony Tassone, thanked the AMA for its "feedback", however, he added, "I'll take more notice of our regulator, the Pharmacy Board [of Australia] and the public".
"Till the next time you want to scare the public about pharmacists practising within their scope - stay classy," he added.
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