Absence from Work Certificates

Your local Foote’s Pharmacy can provide you with an Absence from Work Certificate for personal or carer’s leave. This service will allow you to obtain a leave certificate without an appointment or consultation from a GP.
A Certificate for Absence from Work is a form of evidence used to provide an employer confirmation that an employee is unable to attend work due to illness, injury, or having to care for a family or household member.

Frequently Asked Questions

An Absence from Work Certificate is a form of evidence used to confirm that an employee is unable to attend work either due to illness, injury or having to care for a family or household member.
To get a Foote’s Pharmacy medical certificate, you only have to pay $35 for a consultation service and your absence from work certificate.
To get an Absence from Work Certificate, a pharmacist from Foote’s Pharmacy can issue it to a person for either personal or carer’s leave.
Personal Leave is for a person who is not fit for work due to illness or injury.
Carer’s Leave is for a person to provide care or support to a family or household member who is sick, injured or affected by an emergency.
No, for a Medical Certificate, a pharmacist cannot issue you one. For a Medical Certificate, it’s best to visit your GP.
No appointment is required for this service; walk-ins are welcome. Please see your local Foote’s Pharmacy trading hours.
A Foote’s Pharmacy Pharmacist will conduct a face-to-face consultation with the person requesting a certificate. The Pharmacist will issue a certificate:

  • If, in his/her professional opinion, you are unfit for your work
  • In relation to illnesses or injuries, they are professionally qualified to assess. Advice is provided as a Pharmacist, not as a medical practitioner

When issuing a Carer’s Leave Certificate, the Pharmacist may request a consultation with the ill or injured family/household member in addition to the person requesting leave. Pharmacists will exercise their own judgment when considering whether or not the ill/injured individual is a household member of the person requesting a certificate and what evidence is required as proof.
Before your consultation, you will need to be aware of the following:
 
  • A certificate issued by a Pharmacist is generally not acceptable for purposes other than as evidence to support a person’s absence from work on personal leave or carer’s leave
  • Any opinion will be or has been provided as a Pharmacist, not as a medical practitioner
  • The consultation is not intended to replace medical treatment, opinion or diagnosis, and if the illness or injury persists or worsens, medical attention must be sought not as a medical practitioner
 
Prior to your consultation, please ensure you:

  • Confirm with your employer that a certificate issued by a pharmacy is acceptable
  • Provide the Pharmacist with any documentation relating to the request for a certificate. This may include but is not limited to, prescriptions and previous certificates
The period of time for which Pharmacists are able to issue a certificate is up to two days. A Pharmacist must use their discretion and decide if it is within their scope of practice to issue a certificate for longer than two days, and if not, may consider referral to a medical practitioner.
A Pharmacist may decide that the illness or injury is not within their scope of practice and, in this case, will not provide you with a certificate. This may include:

  • Certificates that state that a person is fit to return to work
  • Pregnancy-related requests, unless the Pharmacist is able to determine the certificate is for a minor ailment
  • Any purpose other than for Personal or Carer’s absence from work
  • A Certificate of Absence from work as an extension to an existing certificate
Your local Foote’s Pharmacy can provide you with an Absence from Work Certificate for personal or carer’s leave. This service will allow you to obtain a leave certificate without an appointment or consultation from a GP.
 
  • The illness or injury at hand requires immediate medical attention
  • The person is capable of performing work duties and is of no danger to others
  • The request for absence is for a long period of time
  • The Absence from Work Certificate is requested to cover other obligations or events. Pharmacists are only able to issue a certificate for absence from work for a minor ailment to a person under 18 years of age who is working legally.
  • The pharmacist is subjected to pressure or feels uncomfortable or unsure about issuing a certificate
  • The pharmacist believes that the person has been untruthful
  • The person requesting the certificate is not physically present
  • There are potential conflicts of interest, for example, requests from family members or pharmacy staff
  • The request for a certificate relates to a worker’s compensation claim

Other Services

With a focus on your health, we strive to offer the best advice and customer service. Our trusted and friendly pharmacies can help you with a wide range of services to keep the whole family happy and healthy. Have a look into the additional services we provide at Footes Pharmacies:

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Foote's Pharmacy Staff