ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), representing approximately 23,000 independent community pharmacies across America, is raising awareness about pharmacy crime and offering tangible solutions during its Protect Your Pharmacy Week (April 14 - 18). At the forefront of the campaign is a partnership between NCPA, FBI LEEDA (Law Enforcement Executive Development Association), and RxPatrol(R) from Purdue Pharma L.P., with support from the Community Pharmacy Foundation. They encourage pharmacists in all practice settings to take steps to protect staff and patients from pharmacy crime, including prescription drug theft. Bruce Roberts, RPh, executive vice president and CEO of NCPA, issued the following statement:
"With a renewed national spotlight on prescription drug abuse, it is important to note the related issue of crime against pharmacies. The National Community Pharmacists Association is launching a campaign this week (April 14-18), designated as 'Protect Your Pharmacy Week', to increase awareness for pharmacies to take precautions against robberies and burglaries. Through our efforts we hope to better prepare pharmacists with the tools and information they need to protect their pharmacies and their patients.
"There should never be a concern about pharmacy safety for pharmacists or their patients, so we want to be sure that pharmacists are given resources to have the security and safeguards in place needed to protect their businesses."
BACKGROUND:
NCPA has always been committed to the safety and security of pharmacists in all practice settings. Twenty years ago the association led an aggressive legislative campaign resulting in the enactment of the Pharmacy Crime Law in 1984 that declared a pharmacy crime aimed at taking controlled substances a federal offense punishable by 20 years in prison. In 2003, we were an original partner with Purdue Pharma's launch of RxPatrol(R), a collaborative effort between the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacy community and law enforcement to collect, collate, analyze, and disseminate pharmacy theft information to pharmacists, loss prevention professionals, and law enforcement agencies. Now with Protect Your Pharmacy Week we will continue to address the pharmacy crime issue and offer real remedies for our member pharmacies in every community in America. Those remedies include a comprehensive tool kit with the latest and most effective crime prevention tips, discounts for security and surveillance equipment, and access to a highly coordinated partnership with the law enforcement community to help report the perpetrators of pharmacy robberies and burglaries.
To learn more about the campaign go to the following link: http://www.ncpanet.org/rxpatrol/
The National Community Pharmacists Association, founded in 1898, represents the nation's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 23,000 pharmacies. The nation's independent pharmacies, independent pharmacy franchises, and independent chains dispense nearly half of the nation's retail prescription medicines. To learn more go to www.ncpanet.org.
SOURCE National Community Pharmacists Association
