Pharmacy burglaries are a growing problem in the United States. Businesses that handle large amounts of controlled substances make attractive targets for thieves eager to sell the drugs at street values worth far more than the retail price. According to a research study performed by Pharmacists Mutual, the majority of burglars report that they visited the targeted pharmacy at least once — usually to fill a prescription — before carrying out the crime. Sometimes the burglar isn’t a stranger, but an employee seeking to pocket drugs and stay well under the radar.
With savvy criminals casing pharmacies, it’s more important than ever that these types of business install pharmacy security systems to help protect their inventory, as well as their staff and customers. Here are a few things to consider when putting a plan in place to protect your pharmacy.
Pharmacy Security Systems Are a Deterrent
Perception plays a role in both residential and commercial security. Thieves tend to target places they perceive as being lax on security. That’s why approximately 62 percent of offenders interviewed said they had targeted locally-owned “mom and pop” pharmacy stores. They felt more certain that these types of businesses wouldn’t have comprehensive pharmacy security systems in place.
The Pharmacists Mutual report determined that when potential offenders encountered a “hardened target” in the form of a good security system or staff that’s alert and visibly taking security precautions, they were more likely to move on to the next target.
Deterring thieves is fine, but what measures actually work if a burglar or dishonest employee is determined to act?
Access Control
Gone are the days of traditional lock-and-key access into sensitive areas or even your business as a whole. Today’s pharmacy security systems allow you to lock up the entire business using keyless access control that monitors who comes and goes and at what time. You can also use these devices to secure or set alarms on specific storerooms, drawers, safes, and cabinets throughout the pharmacy. Program the devices to allow all employees or specify which ones are authorized to gain entry to certain areas. No matter what, time logs will tell you when a particular drawer or safe was opened and whose access code was used to do so.
Video Verification and Surveillance
The next line of defense in today’s pharmacy security systems is a network of security cameras to help you monitor and reference different events that go on in your business throughout the day and after hours. Should you receive a notification that a trusted employee has accessed a sensitive area at an unusual time of day, you can remotely connect to the video camera system to see what’s going on.
Video verification also gives you the opportunity to piece things together should something unusual occur. This could be something as quiet as a dozen pills going missing from a safe to something as noteworthy as an armed robbery. High-quality video recordings will allow you to see what happened and even identify the suspects for police to apprehend later.
Panic Buttons
Drug abuse is a powerful disease, and in some cases, even visible security measures aren’t enough to discourage the most determined thief. Comprehensive pharmacy security systems help keep your staff and customers safe even in a worst-case scenario by providing panic buttons and remote triggers (similar to the ones used in banks) for staff to keep on their person. This way, even in the event of an armed robbery, pharmacy staff are quickly and quietly able to notify the authorities without making it obvious that they’re doing so. This allows police to respond and arrive on the scene quickly to apprehend the perpetrator before they can escape or do harm to anyone.
Pharmacy security systems work on two levels: deterring thieves from acting in the first place and giving you a way to catch them should they strike. Putting in place these layers of security will help keep you, your staff and customers, as well as your livelihood safe from harm.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 30 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
