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Pharmacy Robbery caught on Tape-Review Tips on what to do in this Situation
On July 9, 2009 two men came into McPhail's Pharmacy in Lillington, N.C. carrying pistols. Dustin Bryan, 2012 doctor of pharmacy candidate at Campbell, was ordered to put prescription narcotics into a bag for one the men. The store surveillance video caught the robbery on tape.
Click here to view the robbery caught on tape. The male technician in the video is Dustin Bryan, 2012 doctor of pharmacy candidate at Campbell.
To start, the Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is grateful that no one was hurt during the incident. Second, this story is being shared by the Pharmacy Alumni Association because it is always beneficial for pharmacists to review what they should do if ever found in a similar situation.
Bryan’s Thoughts during the Robbery
The sheriff told us that most robberies were less than five minutes; I believe the whole incident lasted about two-three minutes.
When the men came in the store, I was at the back counter of the pharmacy cleaning something. I heard the technician at the cash register scream, and I heard the other technician say, "What's going on?"
I knew without looking what was happening. I crouched down hoping they hadn't seen me so I could get to a safe place in an office behind the pharmacy to call the police. They saw me as I was crawling and made me come to the front of the pharmacy.
Once there, my mind was running through a class Dr. Cisneros (Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences) taught dealing with a robbery. I knew what type of questions the police would be asking from our lecture, and I was asking myself those very questions while the robbery was happening. I was searching for anything that would help notify police of their identity: hair color, facial hair, piercings, etc. Also the vehicle they drove is important information, but I was not able to see them leave.
It was a very intense and scary moment in my career, and one I hope I don't have to relive, but I am thankful for the class I had and that nobody was hurt during the whole ordeal.
Tips from Dr. Cisneros, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
“I have always included one class in the P1 Management Course dealing with robbery. This spring, I shared a DVD titled “Pharmacy Security: Robbery” provided by Purdue Pharma and the National Community Pharmacy Association (NCPA). I also invited the director of security at Campbell University, Lt. Tim Lloyd, to discuss his thoughts on robbery following the DVD,” explained Dr. Cisneros, assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice. “If I ever had any doubts as to whether this was an appropriate topic to include in the course, the doubts are all gone after hearing Dustin’s experience.”
Tips to remember from the DVD and Lt. Lloyd:
1. Three important things to remember: 1) stay safe, customers as well as pharmacy personnel; 2) cooperate with robbers; 3) be the best witness you can.
2. Don’t develop tunnel vision and only look at the gun. Search for ways to point out the identity of the robber: race, height, tattoos, clothing, scars, etc. Do you know how tall your counters are? This could help with good estimate of robber’s height.
3. Someone should call 911 immediately. Don’t rely on the alarm system to do it for you. Lock and secure doors. Have everyone write down what they saw.
4. On Schedule II containers, try to leave a mark on the bottle or label with some type of recognizable symbol so the bottle can be identified if found later; this can help with prosecution.
5. Make sure you wipe your windows, door, and counter clean once or twice during day. In event of robbery this could make fingerprints easier to recover.
6. Do you have surveillance cameras? Are they in good condition? Are they turned on? At eye level to recognize individuals? If VHS tape, is it changed regularly? Many cameras are set up for internal theft prevention but not for robbers coming from outside. Assign someone to check cameras regularly.
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