Prescription drug store robberies have reached an epidemic level in Maine. The 23rd pharmacy hold-up occurred a few blocks from the State House in Augusta when a man demanded the narcotic pain reliever Oxycontin from the CVS pharmacist and told her: “I have a gun, you have 60 seconds until my partner comes in shooting.”
Though no one has gotten hurt in the drug store heists, Public Safety Commissioner John Morris is concerned about the frequency of the robberies and the boldness of the drug store bandits who have used knives, machetes and guns to demand opiates. Maine’s drug store thefts have increased from two in 2008 to 24 in 2011. In addition to the threat of someone getting hurt in the holdups, prescription drug overdoses are now claiming more lives than car accidents.
Earlier this year, Gov. Paul LePage created a Prescription Drug Task Force, and the 17-member committee has been working to improve the state’s prescription monitoring program, which tracks offenders who doctor shop to garner multiple prescriptions. The task force also seeks to expand a database for doctors to alert them about patients with a history of drug arrests or convictions.
While the task force works on a final round of recommendations, they need help. Most drug abusers get their pills from the medicine cabinets of friends or family. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has collected six tons of unwanted and outdated prescription drugs in previous take-back programs in Maine. But law enforcement officials know there are many more prescriptions that need to be disposed of before they are stolen or abused.
Robbers who once broke into homes stealing televisions or computers are now heading straight to the homeowner’s medicine cabinet, searching for pills that can be sold for $80 to $100 on the street.
While the task force would like to see more prescription take-back programs in Maine, they are costly, and at the moment there are no state or federal funds available. But there are alternatives. The task force has compiled a list and map of the 51 police departments that will take unwanted prescription drugs and destroy them.
For information visit www.safemeddisposal.com or contact the Maine Attorney General’s Office at 626-8800.
Do your part to curb Maine’s growing prescription drug crisis. Clean out your medicine cabinet and urge your neighbors, friends and family to do the same. Organize a trip to the nearest police department drop-off before your old drugs are stolen in a break-in or abused by a family or friend.
whomever wrote this has fuzzy logic.
People who lawfully are prescribed and use meds as prescribed should dispose of them to reduce the instances of people who don’t care about the rules?
How does throwing away scrips prevent people from breaking into your home to look for them? Or better yet going right to the source pharmacies and dr. offices.
Maybe we should come down on the Dr.’s who prescribe all these meds in the first place! Or hear is an idea actually hold these pill heads responsible for their actions.
With the seeming all pervasive use of Facebook and other means of mass communication, it seems that many people can’t wait to publicize their every move and medical problems. They let everyone know when they are going to be out of their home, on vacation or shopping. This is not to say their friends are thieves but do they know who their friends friends are?
set your facebook to friends only. dont post your personal movements and medical scrips on facebook… If people are dumb enough to broadcast that to the general population then I have 0 sympathy when their house is burglarized.
Nice not to be taking any such medicines.
” But law enforcement officials know there are many more prescriptions
that need to be disposed of before they are stolen or abused.”
WOW I am willing to bet the writer is a far far far left liberal. This statement is well stupid. What are we going to do hire Tom and the PRE crime unit to find out who MAY be a victim. We do not have that so once again the nanny state ( supporters) want to intervene in peoples lives who MIGHT be robbed or MIGHT abuse a drug? Why not just pull over EVERY car and write them a ticket for speeding as they MIGHT at some point speed?
These are the same people who want to take your firearms because what a bad guy who STEALS them may do?
I agree: They ARE the same people who want to take our firearms, because of the legislative mess they’ve created with regards to owning and carrying one in the first place. They say, “Look, see, this isn’t working! We need to pass more laws!”
If every pharmacist wore a pistol on their hip, and was trained to use it, this wouldn’t be a problem. Sure, the addicts might try to break in at night, or go after “softer” targets, but that’s what criminals do! They’re cowards!
When you go to a gun shop, the guy behind the counter has a sidearm. Pharmacists should too. They both sell products that seedy people want. And when was the last time you heard of a gun shop being lifted?
it doesnt happen much during business hours thats for sure. But a few years ago remember maine military got ripped of I think they made off with 12 long guns. I think they have upgraded security since then haha.
Nice editorial but your target audience in this matter has been priced out of the market by the BDN. Some seniors will access this information via the internet until the much discussed internal proposal to charge for web access to the BDN becomes a reality. Moving along day to day making yourselves more and more irrelevant.
lol I will never ever pay for BDN online or print.
I hadn’t heard they were thinking of this.