Opioids are commonly used as painkillers but they are also highly addictive. It’s for this very reason that organizations working in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are at high risk of falling victim to violent crime.
Homemade flamethrowers, guns, and knives are just some of the incredibly violent weapons that armed robbers use when stealing opiates and opioids from a pharmacy.
In most cases, oxycontin and fentanyl are the most sought after drugs by criminals. They are either stolen by someone who is hooked on the substance and can’t get it anywhere else, or by a person who then intends to traffic drugs on the street for money.
It’s for this reason that a world-class security solution for your pharmacy is essential for protecting your assets and employees, and it’s also vital if you are to meet industry regulations.
According to Standard 4 of the Standards for the Operation of Licensed Pharmacies, which are one component of the law that governs the practice of pharmacy in Alberta, a pharmacy must ensure that it’s prescription department:
- has adequate lighting, ventilation and humidity and temperature control;
- equipped with a security system that will provide suitable protection against theft, diversion and tampering with drugs and health care products, aids and devices;
- and the dispensary is accessible only to personnel approved by the licensee.
Meanwhile, Standard 5 states that a licensee must ensure that all drugs in a licensed pharmacy are secured against theft, loss or diversion.
So, how does your pharmacy ensure you meet these regulations, protect your assets from theft and ensure your employees are safe from violent crimes? Sonitrol Western Canada has created a two-step guide here:
1 - Managed access control
Managed access control is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways for pharmacies to increase security, and is a direct answer to Standard 4 which states the dispensary in a prescription department can only be accessible to approved personnel.
A form of keyless entry, access control allows you to track and restrict who goes in what rooms and when. Not only does this limit external theft, it also prevents internal theft from occurring within your pharmacy.
2 - Verified video
A traditional video surveillance system will record a robbery, and that footage can sometimes be helpful in picking up a criminal down the road. However, it doesn’t bring law enforcement to your door faster and it can’t protect your employees or assets from the consequences of theft.
Not only that, but conventional alarms have such a high false alarm rate that police departments are often hesitant to send personnel to the scene, and when they do it generally takes around 20 minutes. This means the alarm merely acts as a countdown for any experienced thief.
A verified security solution, however, is able to verify to police that a real intrusion is currently in place. Once a Sonitrol verified alarm detects an intrusion, professionally trained staff at our 24/7 central monitoring station are notified who then verify to police that there is, in fact, an intrusion taking place.
As a result of this verification, police dispatch to Sonitrol verified alarms with an average dispatch time of just 3-4 minutes.
How can Sonitrol Western Canada help?
Sonitrol Western Canada has special pharmaceutical and healthcare security solutions for the large variety of facilities that exist - including places of high public traffic and inventories of drugs that are at constant risk of internal and external theft and burglary.
Sonitrol Western Canada create unique and tailor-made solutions that protect:
- Hospitals, clinics and doctor offices.
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution facilities.
- Drug stores and pharmacies.
- Legal medical majuriana farms.
If your organization is in the pharmacy industry and you’re looking for an improved way to protect your assets, contact Sonitrol Western Canada today to find out how we can help.
