Police have warned the public against taking controlled drugs without a prescription after "a large quantity" were stolen from two Scottish pharmacies in three days.

A "significant quantity" of prescription medication, including morphine and diamorphine, was stolen from Lindsay & Gilmour Pharmacy in Forth overnight between Monday (January 5) and Tuesday, Police Scotland said yesterday (January 7).

The robbery occurred three days after thieves broke into a Lloydspharmacy in West Kilbride and stole “a quantity” of controlled drugs, including hydrocodone, diazepam and co-codamol, at around 4.10am on Saturday (January 3), Police Scotland said.


Lloydspharmacy told C+D a small panel in the front door of the premises had been damaged during the burglary. Nobody had been hurt during the incident and the pharmacy had reopened the same afternoon, it said.


The pharmacy was grateful to local customers for their support and would review its security system, Lloydspharmacy added.

Constable Ewan O’Neil of Saltcoats CID said police were carrying out door-to-door enquiries and checking “all available CCTV” to trace the thieves. 

Lindsay & Gilmour director Yvonne Williams told C+D that staff had arrived to find the pharmacy “a mess” as a result of the break-in and heavy rain overnight. The pharmacy re-opened in the afternoon, but there had been delays in dispensing prescriptions due to the burglary, she said.

Patients had been “extremely understanding” and staff had worked hard to keep the pharmacy operating "as best they could", Ms Williams said. “They were shaken up, but we're just thankful that it [didn't] happen during the day, because obviously that would have been a far more traumatic experience," she added.

Detective superintendent Bob Bryce of Police Scotland warned of the "dangerous consequences" of taking the stolen drugs and urged witnesses to come forward. "It is of the utmost importance that we trace those responsible as they have a significant quantity of medication in their posession," he said.

Anyone with any information relating to either incident should call their local police force on 101 or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, Police Scotland added.

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