Results from C+D's investigation into crimes in pharmacies between 2019 and 2021 gives an overview of the extent and severity of crimes that pharmacists and pharmacy staff were subjected to across the UK in that time.
Coverage from the investigation has revealed everything from how pharmacies in different areas were hit by crime, the array of weapons wielded in pharmacies and the emotional impact on pharmacy teams impacted by crime.
| Investigation explained:
Between October 2021 and January 2022, C+D sent out requests for data under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act to all police authorities in the UK – 43 in England and Wales, as well as Police Scotland and Police Service Northern Ireland. As of April 20, 2022, all 45 police forces have responded to C+D’s requests for 2019 and 2020 data, while 35 of these were able to share it. 44 police forces responded to requests for data for 2021, with 33 of the authorities granting C+D the data. All of the articles below are based on data available at the time of going to press. A three-minute round up of the essential findings can be found here. |
Pharmacy worker felt 'horrible' after being flashed by patient
A pharmacy staff member felt “betrayed” after falling victim to a serial pharmacy flasher, they told C+D.
Indecent exposure: Police investigating reports of serial pharmacy flasher
A man asked for a private consultation with pharmacy staff before exposing himself on three separate occasions, Northumbria Police told C+D.
‘Get on the floor’: Kent man jailed for gunpoint pharmacy robbery
Simon Wightman has been jailed for 12 years after an armed robbery of a Kent pharmacy, police have announced.
Pharmacy assistant lands jail sentence after stealing £330k from employer
A Leicester pharmacy worker who spent over £400,000 on gambling has been jailed after he stole hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of diabetes testing products from his workplace.
Happy Valley: The men in white coats have come for Auntie Beeb
Happy Valley’s shady pharmacist doles out pills illegally for cash. But the BBC’s costume department has committed an even bigger crime by dressing him in a white coat, says C+D’s editor Beth Kennedy
Police release photo in connection with twice-vandalised Well pharmacy
Police in Devon have released the photo of a man they would like to speak to after a pharmacy in Plymouth was vandalised twice over a four-day period.
Pharmacy hit with £3.5k repair bill after vandals smash windows
A pharmacy has been left to foot a £3,500 repair bill after vandals smashed its windows, the force at Staffordshire Police has confirmed to C+D.
Cash injection for pharmacies in Manchester and Bolton to offset security costs
Eligible community pharmacy contractors in Greater Manchester and Bolton can apply to get some of their security costs offset through dedicated funding, C+D has learned.
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‘No other option’: Knights Pharmacy gets security guards and counselling for staff
Knights Pharmacy has introduced security guards and a “support guardian” to offer counselling to staff, after witnessing a “steep rise” in abuse directed at its pharmacy teams.
Explained: What steps you can take to prevent crimes in your pharmacy
From de-escalating potentially violent incidents to banning repeated offenders from your premises, there are many things pharmacy teams can do to protect themselves from crime – as an NPA webinar on preventing crimes in pharmacies showed, says Jasmine Shah
Police chief: Theft in pharmacies may rise as cost-of-living crisis bites
There is “a danger” that the cost-of-living crisis may trigger a rise in thefts in pharmacies, “driven not by greed but necessity”, Patrick Holdaway, police superintendent at the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) has told C+D.
Managing abusive patients – legal and regulatory considerations for pharmacists
A C+D investigation has revealed that pharmacy teams are increasingly facing abuse and even violence from patients. What should pharmacy professionals consider when handling these situations?
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