Prescription drug abuse is to blame for many pharmacy robberies including one at Plantation Pharmacy in Charleston last February.

The robbery occurred while Pharmacist Kerri Edmonds was on the phone. Edmonds looked up and saw the barrel of a gun in her face.

Edmonds recalls with an interview with CBS, “The man told everyone to get on the ground…He was very focused.”

Edmonds realized the man wasn’t after money, but instead Oxycodone, a type of pain pill. He filled up a garbage bag with the pharmacy’s stock of the drug.

This type of robbery is not the first. In fact it is one of many pharmacies robberies to occur lately. Recently, two men in Seaford, New York were killed during a pharmacy robbery. One of these men was off duty federal agent who confronted the thief.  ATF agent John Capano confronted the suspect, James McGoey as he was leaving Charlie’s Family Pharmacy after stealing money and painkillers. The two men got into a confrontation when a local deli owner and former police officer came to help. The deli owner mistakenly shot and killed Capano.

Last year, David Laffer was sentenced for life in prison for his involvement in a Long Island Pharmacy robbery which left four people, including a pharmacist and clerk, dead.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration say there has been 81 percent increase between 2006 and 2010 in the number of pharmacy robberies. The total number of robberies rose from 385 to 698. Most recently pharmacy robberies have taken place in Massachusetts, Arizona, and North Carolina, among others.

DEA spokesperson Rusty Payne said, “What’s usually the reason for drug crime? Addiction and money,” Payne continued by saying, “There’s a lot of money in illicit trafficking of pharmaceuticals and we’ve seen abuse go through the roof. People do crazy things when they’re on drugs.”

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimate that 7 million Americans, or 2.7 percent of the population, misuse prescription drugs, or use them for reasons not medically necessary. Of the most common drugs abused, painkillers make up 73 percent.

With prescription drug misuse come overdoses. According to the Los Angeles Times, in 2009, over 37,000 people died of drug overdoses; this is more than car accidents. The Times used data from the Centers for Disease Control for their analysis. The death toll due to overdoses has doubled in the past decade.

With pharmacy robberies on the rise, more and more pharmacists are taking precautions to avoid robberies. Dave Shirley who works at an independent pharmacy in Charleston now carries a gun. Shirley’s boss, Deborah Dapore owns two pharmacies in Charleston—including the one that was robbed in February 2011. Dapore says they now have made major changes to the store including installing cameras outside and adding a silent alarm. They also no longer provide information about painkillers over the phone.

Valerie Briggs of the National Community Pharmacies Association says they are providing more training and guidance to pharmacists and their employees as well as launching the Protect Your Pharmacy Initiative. This initiative is partnered with RxPATROL. Law enforcement and pharmaceutical industry players create tips for pharmacies to keep themselves safe. These tips
include installing a measuring tape in the doorway so cameras can capture the exact height of robbers, as well as keeping illicit drugs like oxycodone in a safe.

Pharmacies everywhere hope the steps they are now taking will protect their pharmacists and employees from future robberies, or at least assist in the event of a robbery.

By: Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer Mario Pacella