Chemist! A sick note please!

Doctors may not like it, but pharmacists issuing medical certificates for simple ailments is a win-win for everybody.

Cold and flu season is just a few months away. Time to get out the tissues, stock up on tablets, and head down to the doctor for a medical certificate.

Actually, we're doing it more and more. Heading down to the GP for a sick note, that is. Figures from the the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare published last month show that Australians see a doctor for a medical certificate twice as often as they did 10 years ago. One visit to a doctor in every 60 is for a medical certificate, up from one in 120 a decade ago, according to the AIHW report, General practice…