Pill Thefts Alter the Look of Rural Drugstores
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

IKEVILLE, Ky., July 5 (AP) - 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 had forced her to adopt many of the same security measures that are used at the bank down the street.

Ever since prescription painkillers like 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 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 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 for corporate security at Purdue Pharma, the Connecticut-based manufacturer of OxyContin.

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