Pharmacies resort to body cameras and security staff amid shoplifting ‘surge’

Some pharmacies have been forced to introduce body worn cameras and employ security staff amid a ‘surge’ in shoplifting, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned.

Around nine in 10 (88%) of pharmacies across the UK have seen an increase in cases of shoplifting in the last year, a survey by the NPA has shown.

The survey of around 500 pharmacies also found that 87% of had seen a rise in aggressive and intimidating behaviour towards pharmacy teams, and 22% had witnessed physical assault to staff.

Of the pharmacies that reported criminal offences to the police, 73% believed they received an inadequate response.

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Henry Gregg, chief executive of the NPA, said: ‘These are appalling findings and show that pharmacies are seeing a significant increase in shoplifting and other criminal behaviour.

‘It is particularly concerning to hear of reports of physical assaults as well as threats towards pharmacy staff, which is totally unacceptable.’

According to the NPA, some pharmacies reported that hostile behaviour from ‘a minority of patients’ was caused by ‘frustrations due to national shortages of certain medicines’.

And some pharmacies have also told the NPA they have now taken additional steps to protect their teams, such as the introduction of body worn cameras and the employment of security staff.

Mr Gregg added: ‘Although pharmacies are taking their own steps to protect their staff and premises, we need to do more to tackle shoplifting as well as offering pharmacies similar support to other NHS colleagues in primary care.’

Ashley Cohen, the owner of two pharmacies in East Leeds, described several break-ins.

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‘In one of our pharmacies we had a spate of three occasions where we had individuals throw bricks through our main windows,’ he said.

‘Not only did this cause lots of damage and disruption but also made our staff feel unsettled. Within one week of getting new windows replaced this was repeated.’

Sanjeev Panesar, a pharmacy owner in Birmingham, reported a similar rise in shoplifting. On several occasions, he has chased and confronted offenders to show support for his team and send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

He has also installed CCTV on all his premises and considered displaying photographs of known thieves to deter them.

He said: ‘It’s incredibly frustrating to see our teams deal with this reality, despite all the preventative measures we’ve implemented.

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‘Instead of focusing on protecting our premises from theft, we should be spending our time and energy developing innovative services, supporting patient care, and improving community health.’

Last week, the chief pharmacy officer at the General Pharmaceutical Council also warned members of the sector about medicine theft by pharmacy workers, citing weight loss medications as an example.