Burglary and Armed Hold-ups – The risk is more than just a nuisance
Over the last 12 months Guild Insurance has seen an increase in the number of claims for burglary. Offenders are often quite brazen and increasingly they have ‘done their homework’ before they enter the pharmacy. One offender recently caught on CCTV, forced entry to a pharmacy and then proceeded directly to the cupboard in which pseudoephedrine was kept. Within a couple of minutes he had left the pharmacy with exactly what he wanted.
While the increase in burglaries may be partly due to restrictions on the sale of pseudoephedrine based products, there are still ongoing targeting of other drugs (eg. Benzodiazepines, Viagra), perfumes and of course, cash. The good news is that steps can be taken to reduce burglaries and protect your pharmacy from what can be a serious interruption to your business if it occurs.
Perimeter Security
Good security starts outside. The more difficult you make it to gain access, the less likely your pharmacy will be broken into.
Before you review the security inside your pharmacy, you need to consider the perimeter and key access points. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I have deadlocks or good quality locks on all doors?
- If there are any windows that can be opened – do I have keyed window locks installed?
- Are windows constructed of reinforced safety glass?
- Are the premises well lit with external lighting after hours?
- Is my pharmacy protected against ram raids?
- Do I know what security protection neighboring premises have?
- Do I have motion sensors in the roof cavity?
- Do I advertise the security features I have in place – eg. “Premises protected by monitored alarm”, “Premises under video surveillance”, etc?
- Do I have glass break sensors?
If you answered ‘No’ to one or more of the above questions, your pharmacy is potentially at a higher risk of burglary.
If your pharmacy is part of a shopping complex you need to also consider the following questions:
- Is the alarm system zoned to allow it to be activated in the pharmacy when the pharmacy is closed?
- Will your security shutters provide effective protection against intrusion?
- Does the shopping complex have after hours security patrols?
If you do have solid perimeter protection, the next step in limiting the potential for burglary is your alarm system. The following are critical components of a good alarm system:
- Glass break sensors
Glass break sensors are an extremely effective security measure, as the security system may be activated before thieves actually enter the premises. The sensors work by responding to the sound or shockwave produced by an attempt to break glass. They are a relatively inexpensive measure in securing the glassed area of the property perimeter.
- Monitored alarm – Wireless Technologies
A monitored alarm with a back up system is a proven deterrent. A good monitored alarm can provide a quick response to an incident, attendance by a third party (not staff), and can also be linked to smoke detectors. A system using wireless technology can notify your monitoring company when the connection / line has been damaged or cut.
- Internal theft deterrent systems
Secure internal storage of certain drugs such as pseudoephedrine based cold & flu tablets can reduce the risk of burglary. Secure internal storage systems make access to these types of medications more difficult and consequently, your pharmacy becomes a less attractive target for offenders.
Do not forget to display prominent signage that communicates the use of these security systems in your pharmacy. This alerts potential thieves to the security systems you have in place and are a good deterrent to burglars.
Other internal security measures worth considering are:
- Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) to discourage theft from all sources.
- Limit the display & stock levels of targeted drugs such as pseudoephedrine products at your pharmacy.
Money and Drug Safes
In addition to alarms does your pharmacy have both a ‘cash rated’ money safe and a separate drug safe? Poor quality safes are a boon for offenders. They can be an indication as to where cash or drugs of dependency are stored and take only minutes to open.
‘Cash rated’ refers to the average time taken to penetrate a safe’s defences, not simply the physical cash holding capacity. Once you have selected the right safes make sure that the area where the safes are to be located is away from the public view and covered by a motion detection device and/or video surveillance system. If one drug safe is not adequate to store the quantity of drugs that the pharmacy stocks, consider purchasing a second one and locating this in a different area of the pharmacy.
Burglary is a risk that can never be totally eliminated but can be minimised if your pharmacy has an integrated security strategy including good quality safes.
