Illinois AG, CVS unveil new steps to deter pharmacy robberies

Amid an increase in pharmacy robberies, CVS unveiled a new plan to keep drugs safe in Illinois by slowing down the thieves with time delay safes.

"Time delay safes have successfully demonstrated that they help deter pharmacy robberies by electronically delaying the time it takes for pharmacy employees to be able to open the safe," said Thomas M. Moriarty, Chief Policy Officer and General Counsel of CVS Health.

CVS has put up signs warning the bad guys that pharmacy staff can't immediately access prescription drugs, because of new high-tech safes.

"Thieves intending to run into a pharmacy, steal a controlled substance and flee will instead be met with these safes that require a code to enter," said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul

Even with that code, it's a slow process to get to the loot robbers want which is usually opioids.

CVS, plus the Illinois Attorney General and police, announced the new safety measures Tuesday morning, as they work together on the Organized Retail Crime Task Force.

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Attorney General Kwame Raoul says organized crime rings are behind the robberies, then sell those highly addictive drugs on the street to fund their illegal activities.

"These are more often than not, not isolated incidents. They're part of an organized crime scheme," said General Raoul.

Raoul says it is all connected to the rash of smash-and-grabs we've seen increasing during the pandemic. Raoul says more retailers need to get creative, like CVS, which already tested out the safes in the Indianapolis area.

"We saw a 70 percent drop in pharmacy robberies since then," said Moriarty.

CVS says the new time delay safes, plus other safety measures, are now in place at its 392 pharmacies in Illinois.