Work capacity on a claim: FCEs, certificates and medications
Functional capacity evaluations, certificates, return-to-work machinery, and per-medication guidance — the work-capacity evidence explained for the claims professionals who act on it.
Work capacity is what a worker can safely do — and on a claim it is determined by three evidence sources: the certificate of capacity, objective testing such as a functional capacity evaluation (FCE), and the medication picture. Claims decisions go wrong when the three are read separately; this hub covers how to read them together.
Key Takeaways
- Three evidence sources: the certificate of capacity (treating view), the functional capacity evaluation (objective testing), and the medication history (pharmacological reality)
- An FCE tests, a certificate certifies: order objective testing when the certified capacity is contested, static or implausible
- Medications set the ceiling: sedating regimens cap safe capacity regardless of what function testing shows
- Per-drug guidance: this hub carries work-capacity pages for the high-risk medications that appear on Australian claims
- The RTW machinery: return-to-work plans, coordinators, and recover-at-work duties each have their own page below
The three evidence sources, and what each can't tell you
| Source | What it gives you | Its blind spot |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of capacity | The treating practitioner's certified capacity, restrictions and treatment | One prescriber's view; doesn't cross-check capacity against the full medication load |
| Functional capacity evaluation | Objective, tested function: lifting, tolerance, task capability | A snapshot under test conditions; doesn't capture medication variability across the day or week |
| Medication history | The pharmacological reality across all prescribers, longitudinally | Says what's being taken, not what the worker can functionally do — it needs the other two |
Most capacity disputes are one source read alone. The strong position — for decisions and at review — is all three reconciled: certified capacity, tested function, and a medication load consistent with both.
The return-to-work machinery
Work capacity by medication
Per-medication guides covering driving, cognitive and physical work impacts for the medications that appear most on Australian claims:
See what a complete medication picture looks like on a claim
Allmeds reads the medication load against certified capacity on every claim — the third evidence source, reconciled with the other two.
Related guides
Important: This page is general health information, not personal medical advice. If you have questions about your medication — including starting it, stopping it, changing the dose, or combining it with something else — speak with your doctor or pharmacist. For an emergency or suspected overdose, call your local emergency number or poison information service immediately. Information is drawn from regulator and clinical guideline sources (TGA, FDA, MHRA, NICE, PBS, CDC); see our methodology for details.