Drug Topics - November 5, 2007 - (Page 20)

20 DRUG TOPICS NOVEMBER 5, 2007 www.drugtopics.com Cover Story coming drugs than ever before, he “And when mainstream TV said. “Right now, there are reports shows are talking about drugs like Robbery—top 10 states of unprecedented shortages of they’re M&Ms, people come into Massachusetts—98* cocaine in 16 major U.S. cities, the pharmacy expecting to be Indiana—75 shortages we haven’t seen in able to access drugs as easily as decades.” Thus, he feels, some candy.” When they come up Ohio—69 dealers are increasingly turning to against all the regulations and reFlorida—53 pharmaceutical drugs to meet strictions, he said, they can take it Pennsylvania—41 their customers’ demands. While out on the pharmacist, who is Arizona—41 more sophisticated dealers hit caught in the crossfire. Wisconsin—29 wholesaler warehouses and trucks, Certainly, none of these possiUtah—28 others are attacking the more vulble reasons for the surge in pharCalifornia—27 nerable drugstores. macy workplace violence are goKentucky—19 2. Government regulation of ing away soon. More likely, the *number of robberies reported to RxPATROL *number of robberies reported to RxPATROL legitimate pharmaceuticals. Beissues will only worsen, pointing Source: Rx Pattern Analysis Tracking Robberies Source: Rx Pattern Analysis Tracking Robberies cause so many of the illicit drugs to a likelihood of increased risk. & Other Losses (RxPATROL) & Other Losses (RxPATROL) are produced haphazardly and The prudent pharmacy owner cut with all sorts of dangerous and employee will want to take substances—even more so as supply channels tighten— precautions to avoid violence when at all possible. “Pharan increasing number of deaths from these drugs are macies are going to have to tighten their security, much like occurring across the country. Thus, addicts are turning banks did years ago,” Conklin said. more to legitimate prescription drugs, Conklin believes. “The quality and potency of illicit drugs vary Robbery safeguards widely from batch to batch. But Because pharmacy robberies often occur early in the day, DT CAPSULE with legitimate pharmaceuticals, before many people are in the store, Burridge cautioned whether you get a tablet of a cer- that whoever opens in the morning should be particularPatient rage is a new tain product in California or ly vigilant of his or her surroundings. “Make sure before Maine, it’s the same.” opening that no one is sitting in a vehicle nearby.” Idealtrigger for violence 3. Trend toward younger pre- ly, he added, the person opening would not be alone. scription drug abusers. “Our Similarly, Conklin is seeing a lot of pharmacy robberies in pharmacies. youth are jumping with both feet just before closing time, especially by the pros. “They’re dointo the use of prescription drugs, so as they grow older, ing their scouting, coming in and watching how the operthey’ll continue to use them,” Conklin said, inferring ation works, noting when you have the least employees.” that the problem for pharmacies could get worse. They see people distracted just before closing, he said. Douglas Hoey, R.Ph., senior VP National Communi- “People have a lot to do at that time; they’re not as alert.” , ty Pharmacists Association, agreed that the family mediBulletproof Plexiglas barriers between customers and cine cabinet could be a root cause. “For my generation, pharmacy personnel stimulate pro-and-con arguments. when the parents went out, it was the liquor cabinet” Hoey sees them as a flashback to a time when pharmacy that got raided, he said. “Today, according to the FDA, schools taught that pharmacists weren’t supposed to interteenagers and the college-aged are going to the parents’ act with patients. “There may be some environments medicine cabinet.” Abuse of legitimate medications where it makes perfect sense to have that as a safeguard,” could be fueling abuse patterns, such as robbery of phar- he acknowledged. “But as far as widespread use, it would macies for their drugs, he added. definitely seem to interfere with the pharmacist’s accessiDrug Abuse in America—Prescription Drug Diversion, a bility to the patient.” 2004 report by the Council of State Governments, stated But in New York’s dangerous areas, security is more that the rise in prescription drug theft is due to both a dras- important than accessibility. “A lot of our pharmacists tic increase in Rx drug abuse and high street prices. Those work behind inch-thick Plexiglas,” said Burridge. “They high prices apply not only to pain relievers and tranquiliz- have special areas through which drugs are passed, much ers, but also to drugs such as Viagra (sildenafil, Pfizer). like money in a bank.” As for “patient rage,” Hoey pointed to two root causes: Conklin advocates the use of video surveillance, both as the managed care environment and commoditization of a deterrent and as an aid to apprehension. “We’ve interthe product. “When people are paying co-pays, they don’t viewed many of the really prolific pharmacy robbers after understand the real value of the medication,” he said. arresting them, and they’d often look at several pharmacies http://www.drugtopics.com

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Drug Topics - November 5, 2007 Contents Latebreakers Latebreakers in Depth Letters Rx Care Community Practice 150 Years of American Pharmacy Hospital Practice Pharmacists at Risk Government and Law High-Density Lipoprotein New Products Advertisers Index Classified Viewpoint

Drug Topics - November 5, 2007

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