Addicted Thieves Increasingly Target Pharmacies

In Maine, one pharmacy began using a tracking device on prescription bottles so police could quickly locate the thieves. Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, provided training to officers with the Biddeford (Maine) PD on how to investigate pharmacy thefts.

February 6, 2011

As drug addicted thieves increasingly target pharmacies to steal their prescription medication, the pharmacies have begun borrowing security measures from banks and law enforcement agencies are implementing specialized training for their investigators, the New York Times reports.

According to the report, more than 1,800 pharmacy robberies have taken place nationally over the last three years, typically conducted by young men seeking opioid painkillers and other drugs to sell or feed their own addictions. The most common targets are oxycodone (the main ingredient in OxyContin), hydrocodone (the main ingredient in Vicodin) and Xanax.

In Maine, one pharmacy began using a tracking device on prescription bottles so police could quickly locate the thieves.

Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, provided training to officers with the Biddeford (Maine) PD on how to investigate pharmacy thefts.

Read the full story at NYTimes.com.

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