Pharmacy Robberies and Burglaries on the Rise - Develop Emergency Policies & Procedures

Pharmacy Robberies and Burglaries on the Rise:

Pharmacies have always been a target for robberies and now, pharmacy robberies and burglaries on the rise. As Pharmacists ourselves we have realized that this is a possibility and a risk that everyone in our profession constantly faces. We may all do our best to put it out of our focus and concentrate on our day-to-day daily routines while at work. We sometimes think that although the possibility exists, this is something that happens frequently but not to us!However many robberies and burglaries we hear about, sometimes there are particular ones that grab our attention. In Illinois last week there were two related robberies that can only be described as "bizarre". In both cases the Pharmacy robberies involved a man and woman wielding hypodermic needles that they claimed were contaminated with HIV.The initial robbery took place at a CVS Pharmacy in Niles, Illinois last Monday morning (11/14). The second case took place the following morning at a CVS store in Naperville, Illinois according to separate press releases issued by the police.In the initial incident a man and woman entered the Niles pharmacy and stole OTC medications, concealing them inside backpacks. When a CVS employee approached them, the man threatened the employee with a syringe he claimed was contaminated with HIV. The suspects left the pharmacy and fled with about $600 worth of medications.The next case occurred at the Naperville CVS Pharmacy. Once again a man and woman brandishing an HIV-contaminated syringe threatened store employees and stole numerous medications before fleeing.Recently it seems that all the Pharmacy news we read is filled with an increase of stories regarding burglaries and robberies of Pharmacies. In the past month alone we all have seen almost daily reports of Pharmacy break-ins and burglaries. This dramatic increase of robbery and burglaries always seems to cycle come Holiday season!Are you and your Pharmacy prepared to deal with situations like these? As I stated earlier, no-one thinks that these situations will happen to us or our Pharmacy businesses, but these are truly examples of the old cliche “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” being applicable. Do you have policies and procedures written for your business and employees to act on if such a crisis arises? Do you have inventory policies in place to help determine what was taken during a burglary? Do you have training in place to help your employees in these situations that will minimize your possible liabilities? If the answers are no, then contact HCC Pharmacy Staffing to see how we can help you.Healthcare Consulting has been a full service Pharmacy staffing and consulting firm that has been in business for over 27 years. HCC has been helping Pharmacies plan, prepare and deal with such crisis situations since 1989. Just a few examples of our services include:- Development of Policies and Procedures- Employee Crisis Training- Inventory Management- Pharmacy Management ConsultationAlthough we all hope that we will never personally deal with such situations, I strongly urge you to be prepared. Contact us on line or call us today for a Free Consultation at 800-642-1652 to discuss how we can help you.