PAINKILLER THEFTS PROMPT STORES TO BOOST SECURITY

PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- Carrie Cinnamond realized just how much times had
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 security measures 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."

For Cinnamond, the popularity of OxyContin forced her to take extra
measures. Burglars broke into her pharmacy twice in 2001 and tried
unsuccessfully a third time after she upgraded security.

"It was appalling to me that they could come into the store, take the
drugs, go directly to the street, and who knows who they would be
selling them to," Cinnamond said.

Graham, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent whose Purdue
Pharma team advises pharmacies on security, said most drugstores 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."

Dan Smoot, chief detective for the eastern Kentucky antidrug task
force Operation UNITE, said prescription drugs remain the top problem
for police agencies in the mountains. Smoot led the largest drug raid
in Kentucky history two months ago, arresting more than 200 people on
charges of buying or selling prescription drugs on the black market.

Smoot said the roundup was aimed primarily at people dealing in
OxyContin, a narcotic that can provide 12 hours of relief for cancer
patients and others suffering from severe pain. The tablet can produce
a quick and potentially lethal high if it is chewed, snorted, or
injected. It has been linked to more than 100 deaths and bears the
government's strongest warning label.

Since last year, Purdue Pharma has given $1.5 million in grants to
police departments to combat abuse of the drug.