PHARMACISTS GUARD AGAINST PAINKILLER THEFT

Many Pharmacies Have Turned into Virtual Fortresses. Some Now Have Bars
Over the Windows.

PIKEVILLE, Ky. - Carrie Cinnamond realized just how much times have changed
when she had a steel vault hauled into her pharmacy in eastern Kentucky.

Two break-ins in two weeks by burglars in search of painkillers forced her
to adopt many of the same security measures that are used at the bank down
the street.

Ever since prescription painkillers such as OxyContin became the drugs of
choice among dealers and addicts in Appalachia, the days of small-town
pharmacists dispensing medicines from behind an ordinary counter have
become a quaint memory.

Now, many pharmacies have turned into virtual fortresses. Some now have
bars over the windows. The most sought-after drugs are stored in vaults.
The pharmacists often work behind safety glass, and some have even armed
themselves. Surveillance cameras and alarm systems monitor every spot.

Pharmaceutical companies have also adopted practices from the banking
industry, delivering prescription pills in armored trucks protected by
armed guards and tracked by satellites on carefully chosen routes.

"We feel very strongly that we have a commitment to protect the public and
to make sure these drugs are available for people who need them," said
Aaron Graham, vice president of corporate security at Purdue Pharma, the
Connecticut-based manufacturer of OxyContin.

"You do that by making sure they're not stolen or diverted," Graham said.
"Armored vehicles are just one part of the protocol. We use space-age
technology involving global positioning to make sure we know where our
product is all the time."

Graham, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent whose Purdue Pharma
team advises pharmacies on security, said most drug stores have taken
measures to protect against thefts.

"Certainly, there are still some soft targets out there," he said. "But the
prudent pharmacist knows he's got an expensive, valuable commodity that
needs to be protected."

Since last year, Purdue Pharma has given $1.5 million in grants to police
departments to combat abuse of the drug. More than $680,000 of those grants
have gone to police agencies in Kentucky, which has been among the hardest
hit with prescription drug abuse.