Summary
"Pharmacy robbery is a serious and growing problem. According to the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA), robberies of pharmacies in the United States increased 82
percent from 2006 to 2011.3 Overall, 3,535 pharmacies were robbed during that six-year
period.4 The problem of pharmacy robbery is not unique to the United States: serious
pharmacy robbery problems have been documented in England, Ireland, and Australia.5
While the problem is widespread internationally, it is also unique locally, with some
regions and localities more susceptible to pharmacy robberies than others. In New York
state, for example, pharmacy robberies increased from just 4 in 2006 to 30 in 2010.6 The
common theme across international, national, and regional experiences with pharmacy
robbery is that the volume of legally prescribed pain relievers has risen steadily. For
example, opiate painkillers, arguably the most addictive of prescribed medicines, are also
the most widely abused,7 and the distribution of these drugs has increased by over 600
percent in recent years."--Page 6.