NCPA addresses pharmacy crime issue with new Protect Your Pharmacy Now! program resources
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association plans to provide its members with new resources to enhance pharmacy safety following the debut of a news segment that highlighted the growing frequency of pharmacy crime.
NCPA announced it currently is rolling out the Protect Your Pharmacy Now! toolkit to its members — part of a program with the same name — which contains safety and security tips and checklists to help pharmacies assess their current security needs. The kit also includes discounts NCPA has secured for employee background screenings, narcotics safes, surveillance systems, cameras, alarms and other theft-deterrent products to provide a turn-key resource for pharmacy operators, the association said. What's more, NCPA members also will receive posters and window clings to serve reminders to employees, customers and drug seekers that robbing a pharmacy is a federal offense and carries with it severe penalties.
The toolkit release follows the airing of ABC World News' "Pharmacy Robberies Increase" segment on April 5, which cited Drug Enforcement Administration statistics that robberies have increased 82% from 2006 to 2011, with 3,535 pharmacies having been robbed during that period. The report also showed images of robberies in progress from pharmacy security cameras and an interview with an independent pharmacy owner Bruce Goodarzi of Rockville Pharmacy in Rockville, Md.
"We applaud ABC News for highlighting what we believe is a growing public health concern," NCPA president Lonny Wilson said. "Pharmacists in all retail practice settings can benefit from learning more about how they can better protect themselves, their employees, and patients. The owners and operators of regional chains and single stores can implement practices immediately to better secure their businesses and to better prepare their employees how to respond in the event of a robbery."
Protect Your Pharmacy Week is recognized recognized April 16 to 20, NCPA noted.
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