Tired of getting robbed? How next-gen smart tech can help

In Calgary, police reported in September that, so far this year, more than five dozen pharmacies have been hit by thieves. Meanwhile, in Toronto, more than 100 pharmacies have been reported in 2022—more than double last year’s total figures, according to the city’s police services. Criminal are also increasingly targeting grocers that sell pharmaceutical products. In the most recent Canada’s Food Price Report, grocers cited an uptick in theft of certain products that included over-the-counter medications. Given this surge, it’s critical for pharmacy owners to look at all the different ways they can protect their business, staff and customers from criminals, said Paul Baratta, a security professional who leads healthcare segment development at Axis Communications AB, a Sweden-based provider of network solutions in video surveillance, access control and other security systems. The right technologies can help pharmacies in multiple ways, Baratta told Pharmacy Practice + Business. “Technology has come a long way,” he said. “Today our video cameras and audio devices are basically smart devices, and within these devices themselves are chips with built-in analytics. When used as part of our network solutions, pharmacies can achieve reductions in crime while also seeing an increase in sales and improvements in customer service.” Read: Teenagers arrested in connection with pharmacy robberies and carjackings Axis Communications’ solutions can turn retail pharmacies into smart spaces that strategically leverage human traffic flow in-store and the various touch-points with customers. For instance, a solution could include a video function that alerts the system every time a customer comes into the store as well as an audio feature that “greets” customers as they walk in. “So a customer hears a message saying something like ‘welcome to so-and-so pharmacy,’” explained Baratta. “That creates a positive, welcoming environment for customers while also deterring those who are coming in with criminal intent because now they know that their presence in the store has been documented digitally.” When layered with sensors and analytics, the same audiovisual technologies can track certain patterns of activity—such as a customer spending an unusually long amount of time in a particular area—that could indicate a risk for theft. Read: Stocking codeine cough syrups increases the chances of pharmacy robberies: Alberta College of Pharma “If somebody is loitering, the system can trigger a message that goes out on the store PA about a promotion on a product in the area where that person is or, if there’s dedicated audio in each aisle, the message could ask the customer if they need help,” said Baratta. “The end-result could be that customer being prompted by the ad and buying that product or if that person is there to shoplift, that message could discourage them from doing that.” Analytics-enabled video surveillance of checkout areas can also prevent employee theft, said Baratta. At the same time, the system can be configured to send alerts when there are long lineups so managers can ask their staff to switch for their current tasks and help on the frontlines. Through one of its technology partners, Axis can add a facial recognition to its systems, said Baratta. This can be particularly useful in situations where pharmacy owners want to control access to their business but can’t be on the premises all the time. “Our partner uses facial recognition to lock and unlock doors,” said Baratta. “That technology is actually built into the edge of the camera. We can also integrate acoustic analytics that can listen for aggressive behavioiur and can identify sounds like gunshots.” As security technologies have become increasingly sophisticated, they’ve also become more affordable. Baratta said a pharmacy can get a robust, analytics- and audiovisual-backed security system for between $5,000 to $10,000 depending on how many cameras are installed. Advanced features such as facial and acoustic recognition would raise the price. “A great thing about our security technology today is it doesn’t take a lot of bandwidth, it’s very easy to install and very easy to use,” said Baratta. “It doesn’t require a massive investment and it will pay for itself over time.” Read: How can you stamp out violence in your pharmacy?

Tired of getting robbed? How next-gen smart tech can help

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