Recent pharmacy robberies in Waterloo region renewing concerns

A big bust for the Waterloo Regional Police Service is renewing concerns for pharmacist safety.

The spree began Sunday night and involved robberies at pharmacies around Waterloo region.

Police say the recent robberies brings the number of pharmacies hit this year in the region to seven.

"I think it's partly a by-product of what we experienced with the opioid epidemic crisis," said Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association.

It's a concern across the country and Bates says young offenders are getting involved.

"Teenagers, unfortunately, they're looking to get their hands on opioids because we saw overdose deaths and use of narcotics and opioids really skyrocket during the pandemic," Bates said.

Several minors were arrested by regional police in relation to the recent spree.

Bates said pharmaceutical opioids are a significant draw in the illicit markets.

"[They] sometimes go for three times the price," says Bates.

In March, the Ontario College of Pharmacists acted on the persistent problem. Pharmacies are now required to install time-delayed narcotics safes to help prevent robberies.

"It's a bit awkward in the sense that they are mandatory as of March of this year. However, it's been a grace period in order to either retrofit an existing safe with the time-delay components, or have to buy a new safe, because there are lot of shortages," said Bates.

For now, all pharmacies have to do is provide proof they've started the process to secure one of those safes. But as they wait, Ontario pharmacies are left vulnerable.

"I mean, we've seen robberies but what I think is different about it, and the escalation of it, is that a lot of those robberies happen after hours and weren't as frequent. Now we're seeing much more brazen break-ins while pharmacies are open," Bates said.

Although the safes have been prescribed as part of the solution, pharmacists are left searching for more ways to cure the problem.