April 22, 2008
Pharmacies Under Attack
A rash of armed robberies has led some pharmacies in Florida to post signs that they do not carry drugs such as OyxContin on the premises and cause a local professor to question whether dealing with crime will need to become a required course at pharmacy schools.
“I would’ve never thought in my 30-plus years of being a pharmacist and teaching pharmacy we would get to that point,” Paul Doering of the University of Florida told The Tampa Tribune.
Many pharmacists claim that robberies are on the rise and that criminals come looking for drugs including OxyContin but also others such as Dilaudid, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine and Ritalin.
Richard Conklin, a captain in the Stamford, Conn. police department, also manages RX Patrol, a site funded by Purdue Pharma that collects and analyzes information collected from pharmacies that have been robbed.
“In the last couple weeks, it seems like (pharmacy) robberies have exploded in Florida,” he told The Tampa Tribune. “We’ve seen a number of armed robberies throughout the state.”
Walgreens has removed OxyContin from its stores due to the violence. Company spokesperson Carol Hively said the chain has posted signs that the drug is not on the premises. This is not the first time that Walgreens has been forced to take this action having done it back in 2006 in Nashville for the same reason.
Patients who have a prescription for OxyContin can come to a Walgreens and they are then instructed where they can go locally to obtain the painkiller.
Captain Conklin attributed some of the robbery activity to tighter border control that has made it more difficult to bring illegal drugs into the U.S.
He also indicated that the “relative” safety of drugs stolen from pharmacies makes them more valuable to those who ultimately wind up using them. “The pharmaceutical drugs are government regulated,” he said. “When you buy heroin, you don’t know what you’re getting. You see a number of overdoses across the country. Whether you get a tablet in Alaska or Florida, it’s going to be the same prescription.”
Discussion Questions: How big an issue have armed robberies become for the retail pharmaceutical industry? What can be done to reduce armed robberies of pharmacies?
BrainTrust
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Poll
Security has always been an issue at pharmacies. At one client site, the day before the grand opening, thieves broke the windows and stole 10 grand worth of diabetic supplies. The rise of violence is indicative of the rise is abuse of certain controlled drugs. I don’t know of any effective solution except to move the goods offsite and making sure that signage is obvious. Larger pharmacies should have floor walkers or other security onsite to act as a deterrent.
Pharmacies and other large retailers sometimes have their hands tied. Independent operators have somewhat of an advantage. Some of my independent clients have simply used “street justice” when dealing with armed robbers, shoplifters, and such. These retailers often have close political and friendly connections with local police and court officials so they don’t have to face legal difficulties when confronting criminals.
Big chains are generally at a disadvantage and often have policies that prevent them from confronting criminals. There are some retailers in the worst parts of NYC who never have to worry about robberies and shoplifting. If the criminals ever did try to rob one of these stores they better pray the police find them before the store owner does. As long a criminals have no fear of retaliation by the retailers, not much can be done.
It is unfortunate that, in a pharmaceutical market where retail margins are closing in from government controls, pharmacists are having to worry about armed robbery cutting into their profits as well.
Sadly, theft of Oxycontin, Methadone, Ritalin, Pseudoephedrine and other drugs is not a new occurrence. I don’t know many pharmacists who would not make available a drug that patients need, so refusing to sell certain drugs, at least for independent pharmacies, is not likely to happen. How they sell them will.
The state of retail pharmacy is changing and this is an important factor. My question is, how will this change the retail shopping experience of patients who frequent local chain and independent pharmacies? Will we see more pharmacists behind glass windows? More drive up windows required and less one on one with the pharmacist? Worst of all, will we see armed guards next to pharmacy counters like we see at a bank? The answers may depend on the pharmacy location and more involvement with city and law enforcement agencies.
I also believe that we will begin to see the customer base step up and take notice of their surroundings. The local pharmacy is such an important part of the community. This would be a great time for retail pharmacy to become even more interactive. Let customers know about pharmacy issues and ask for their involvement and opinions. I am not ready to believe that the retail public is ready or willing to loose the corner drug store. Armed robbery at the local pharmacy is probably not going to disappear but we can certainly make it more difficult and hopefully happen less often with harsh repercussions.
Doron is right. My uncle was a pharmacist and went through more than his share of armed robberies over a 40 year career. What’s changed now is the greater market for drugs, even easier access to weapons and a heightened social toleration of violence that makes some kids think that a gun is a mandatory fashion accessory.
Drug store robberies go WAY back. During Prohibition, the local drug store was often a primary location for alcohol sales. Prohibition was the Full Employment Act for organized crime. In many cases, the druggists selling alcohol became the “dealers” for criminal gangs. It was not unusual for druggists to pay for “protection”.
What’s amazing is how many of today’s pharmacies lack decent video surveillance and recording equipment. Banks have widely-used standards. Pharmacies, both chains and independents, often ignore reasonably-priced technology that’s reliable and easy to operate. Robbers are often opportunists. If they knew that drug stores were as well-equipped, surveillance-wise, as banks, they’d be persuaded to go elsewhere.
One prominent regional drug chain has a great video setup. The CEO routinely calls the stores during busy time of day and comments to the store manager about the number of folks on line (in real time) and whether to open more cashier stations. That system isn’t just a security setup, it has improved customer service and sales tremendously. For the retailing industry, internet-connected video is the #1 most underutilized high-payback technology. And the costs are surprisingly low.
More Discussions
Has Same-Day Delivery Become an Expectation Across Retail?
Are expectations around retail delivery speed in flux?OpenAI Names the Infrastructure Standard for Agentic Commerce
Will OpenAI or Google (or another entity) set the gold standard for agentic commerce?Is Five Below Poised For Even Greater Growth?
Five Below is hitting serious growth numbers. Can this trend continue?
Security has always been an issue at pharmacies. At one client site, the day before the grand opening, thieves broke the windows and stole 10 grand worth of diabetic supplies. The rise of violence is indicative of the rise is abuse of certain controlled drugs. I don’t know of any effective solution except to move the goods offsite and making sure that signage is obvious. Larger pharmacies should have floor walkers or other security onsite to act as a deterrent.
Pharmacies and other large retailers sometimes have their hands tied. Independent operators have somewhat of an advantage. Some of my independent clients have simply used “street justice” when dealing with armed robbers, shoplifters, and such. These retailers often have close political and friendly connections with local police and court officials so they don’t have to face legal difficulties when confronting criminals.
Big chains are generally at a disadvantage and often have policies that prevent them from confronting criminals. There are some retailers in the worst parts of NYC who never have to worry about robberies and shoplifting. If the criminals ever did try to rob one of these stores they better pray the police find them before the store owner does. As long a criminals have no fear of retaliation by the retailers, not much can be done.
It is unfortunate that, in a pharmaceutical market where retail margins are closing in from government controls, pharmacists are having to worry about armed robbery cutting into their profits as well.
Sadly, theft of Oxycontin, Methadone, Ritalin, Pseudoephedrine and other drugs is not a new occurrence. I don’t know many pharmacists who would not make available a drug that patients need, so refusing to sell certain drugs, at least for independent pharmacies, is not likely to happen. How they sell them will.
The state of retail pharmacy is changing and this is an important factor. My question is, how will this change the retail shopping experience of patients who frequent local chain and independent pharmacies? Will we see more pharmacists behind glass windows? More drive up windows required and less one on one with the pharmacist? Worst of all, will we see armed guards next to pharmacy counters like we see at a bank? The answers may depend on the pharmacy location and more involvement with city and law enforcement agencies.
I also believe that we will begin to see the customer base step up and take notice of their surroundings. The local pharmacy is such an important part of the community. This would be a great time for retail pharmacy to become even more interactive. Let customers know about pharmacy issues and ask for their involvement and opinions. I am not ready to believe that the retail public is ready or willing to loose the corner drug store. Armed robbery at the local pharmacy is probably not going to disappear but we can certainly make it more difficult and hopefully happen less often with harsh repercussions.
Doron is right. My uncle was a pharmacist and went through more than his share of armed robberies over a 40 year career. What’s changed now is the greater market for drugs, even easier access to weapons and a heightened social toleration of violence that makes some kids think that a gun is a mandatory fashion accessory.
Drug store robberies go WAY back. During Prohibition, the local drug store was often a primary location for alcohol sales. Prohibition was the Full Employment Act for organized crime. In many cases, the druggists selling alcohol became the “dealers” for criminal gangs. It was not unusual for druggists to pay for “protection”.
What’s amazing is how many of today’s pharmacies lack decent video surveillance and recording equipment. Banks have widely-used standards. Pharmacies, both chains and independents, often ignore reasonably-priced technology that’s reliable and easy to operate. Robbers are often opportunists. If they knew that drug stores were as well-equipped, surveillance-wise, as banks, they’d be persuaded to go elsewhere.
One prominent regional drug chain has a great video setup. The CEO routinely calls the stores during busy time of day and comments to the store manager about the number of folks on line (in real time) and whether to open more cashier stations. That system isn’t just a security setup, it has improved customer service and sales tremendously. For the retailing industry, internet-connected video is the #1 most underutilized high-payback technology. And the costs are surprisingly low.