Pharmacies adopt fortress tactics to thwart P thieves

Chemists burgled by methamphetamine-makers are turning their stores into fortresses.

A Matamata chemist burgled seven times has bollards outside his two stores to stop ram-raids, iron gates to stop burglars who smash windows and 24-hour surveillance cameras.

Peter McSweeney's Amcal chemist in Matamata was burgled three times in three weeks, and a chemist shop he owns in Tauranga has been burgled four times in 12 months.

In every case the thieves took medications for treating colds and flu. The medications contain pseudoephedrine, which is used to make drugs like P.

He said he spent more than $20,000 following his insurer's recommendations to keep his policies for both stores.

Mr McSweeney said he also would not sell products containing pseudoephedrine to people without photo identification and, to ensure sales of the products could be traced, would not accept cash for them.

Hamilton police have dealt with 16 chemist shop burglaries - five of them last month - over six months.

Two chemists, who did not want to be named ,said their insurance premiums had been affected.

Pharmacists Guild Auckland division chairman Murray Deas said pharmacists were under a lot of pressure because of the surge in methamphetamine use.

He knew of pharmacies that had become like fortresses as a result of burglaries and robberies.

"It's not just the insurance - we have to look at staffing levels. Staff are under stress not knowing if the next person who comes in is going to be nice or demand pseudoephedrine."

Insurance Council chief executive Chris Ryan said not just chemists were affected. Payouts were going to motels with rooms destroyed by transient drug cooks. Also, burglary, fraud and general theft cases were rising.

"We've got a very serious problem. That's why the Insurance Council has been pushing for more resources for police to deal with it."

- NZPA

Herald Feature: The P epidemic