OH My GOSH! Robbed of OXYCONTIN!!

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
loneranger

loneranger

Membership Revoked
Removed
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
121
Reaction score
0
I was working at the pharmacy today and a guy handed me a note saying he had a gun and to give him all the oxycontin. He told me not to say anything and do what I was told. I panicked and got the pharmacy manager and we gave him all the oxycontins and he darted out the emergency exit. We called the district manager, and the police right away. It was a scary moment. Two other Rite Aids around here also got robbed in the past 6 weeks. No security cameras at the pharmacy at all! Oh man, I can't sleep tonight.
Members don't see this ad.
 
loneranger said:
I was working at the pharmacy today and a guy handed me a note saying he had a gun and to give him all the oxycontin. He told me not to say anything and do what I was told. I panicked and got the pharmacy manager and we gave him all the oxycontins and he darted out the emergency exit. We called the district manager, and the police right away. It was a scary moment. Two other Rite Aids around here also got robbed in the past 6 weeks. No security cameras at the pharmacy at all! Oh man, I can't sleep tonight.
Click to expand...


That is really scary. That guy must be a loser.
 
My friend (sits two seats away from me) got robbed on Thursday night. They got away with 500+ doses of Oxycontin, mostly 20's and 40's. She talked about it in class on Friday. I was impressed by her nerve. I probably wouldn't have it been ready to recount it to 130 people. It was a nice moment for our class. We ruined it by ripping into each other about Plan B later in the hour. Sigh.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
when he handed me the note, i initially thought it was a prescription but that it was kind of odd because it was all wrinkled up and brown. When I saw the first few words of " I have a Gun....Oxycontin", I knew just then that this was the same guy that robbed 2 other Rite Aids down the street in the past 6 weeks. Oh man, I can't work tomorrow. I am scared. The should move all the oxycontins to a special pharmacy with bars on their windows with tight security.
 
I hope they provide you with counseling. I was in a bank robbery and luckily they provided counseling for us. I was the first person to go back to work after the robbery ... I couldn't touch money for a week without being nauseated.

I'm sorry you had to be in that type of situation. :(
 
mshheaddoc said:
I hope they provide you with counseling. I was in a bank robbery and luckily they provided counseling for us. I was the first person to go back to work after the robbery ... I couldn't touch money for a week without being nauseated.

I'm sorry you had to be in that type of situation. :(
Click to expand...



Yes, I agree. Counseling is important. Almost ten years ago my friend was robbed at gunpoint outside a bar. I was with her and if it weren't for the shooter's incredibly bad aim, I would have been shot. The perps had already killed someone a few hours earlier.

I had counseling, and there are still certain things that bother me to this day. So, take care of yourself! Get the help you need. Good luck!
 
OMG...where in CA were you?!?

loneranger said:
I was working at the pharmacy today and a guy handed me a note saying he had a gun and to give him all the oxycontin. He told me not to say anything and do what I was told. I panicked and got the pharmacy manager and we gave him all the oxycontins and he darted out the emergency exit. We called the district manager, and the police right away. It was a scary moment. Two other Rite Aids around here also got robbed in the past 6 weeks. No security cameras at the pharmacy at all! Oh man, I can't sleep tonight.
Click to expand...
 
ceruleansky said:
OMG...where in CA were you?!?
Click to expand...

orange county...might be in the local section of the newspaper tomorrow as was the last attempted robbery. I hope they catch this guy. They had helicopters searching for the getaway car today(black suburban i think). He was a skinny tall guy wearing an army camoflauged jacket. He looked like he hadn't shaved for 2 days. I don't know if had a real gun or not, but when I handed over the oxycontins to him, he looked me right in the eye and said my life was spared.
 
Man, what a f*cktard! Out of all places, he goes to a pharmacy where it's known as a place of helping others. Why not steal out of a donation bin while he's at it?

I'm glad you weren't hurt physically and hopefully everything will work out for you. I just put myself in your situation and I would've been terrified. Thanks for sharing. I think retail chains need to beef up security because certain drugs are just too profitable in the streets.
 
I have my conceiled weapons permit, hope I never have to use it but glad to have it. The store I work for is in rural area and there was an attempted robbery last year. Poor robber didn't know what he had gotten himself into when 3 different farmers in the store pulled out guns on him while he was running out.
 
omg i work in orange county...laguna hills! im scared to go to work on tues :eek:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I know this location!

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1577071.php

OxyContin bandit strikes in Costa Mesa

The crime is the third such pharmacy robbery in the city in the past two months.

By MARTIN WISCKOL
The Orange County Register

For the third time in two months, a man dressed in black has robbed a Costa Mesa pharmacy of the powerful painkiller OxyContin.

At 4:45 p.m. Sunday, a man in black – including a black hood – went to the pharmacy at the Rite Aid at 2300 Harbor Blvd. and presented a demand note for all OxyContin in stock, along with the threat of a gun, said Costa Mesa Police Department Sgt. Matt Grimmond.

The man escaped through an emergency exit. It is unclear if it is the same bandit that committed the previous robberies. Police declined to say how much of the drugs were obtained.
 
loneranger said:
I was working at the pharmacy today and a guy handed me a note saying he had a gun and to give him all the oxycontin. He told me not to say anything and do what I was told. I panicked and got the pharmacy manager and we gave him all the oxycontins and he darted out the emergency exit. We called the district manager, and the police right away. It was a scary moment. Two other Rite Aids around here also got robbed in the past 6 weeks. No security cameras at the pharmacy at all! Oh man, I can't sleep tonight.
Click to expand...

Someone needs to wise up and realize that security for pharmacies is a good idea. Especially if other pharmacies in the area are getting robbed. I'm sorry to hear you went through something like this but so glad to hear you and everyone else are ok. I really wish they would allow all pharmacists to take the concealed courses, get their license, and carry a gun with them at work. I know I'd feel much better with a gun. But, I am a Texan so maybe I'm biased ;) Texan=We shoot back
 
Glowwyrm said:
Someone needs to wise up and realize that security for pharmacies is a good idea. Especially if other pharmacies in the area are getting robbed. I'm sorry to hear you went through something like this but so glad to hear you and everyone else are ok. I really wish they would allow all pharmacists to take the concealed courses, get their license, and carry a gun with them at work. I know I'd feel much better with a gun. But, I am a Texan so maybe I'm biased ;) Texan=We shoot back
Click to expand...

Hell Yeah!
 
pharmacistUH said:
Hell Yeah!
Click to expand...

Not that I disagree that the perp should be shot, but really... a gun fight in a pharmacy! I suppose if you get killed he'd be charged for murder too, but what good does that do you. If someone gets killed 50/50 chance it'd be you. (If ONLY 2 people have guns)
 
Last year one of my former patient's husband held up a string of pharmacies AT GUNPOINT for narcs (funny, he wanted oxycontin AND skelaxin!). He finally was caught after the 4th or 5th one in a couple of weeks. He was a POLICE OFFICER...not anymore he's not. It was a mess. I know how hard it was on my patient and I can imagine it was pretty hard on the pharmacists and staff. I hope you recover quickly.
Lisa
 
Farmercyst said:
Not that I disagree that the perp should be shot, but really... a gun fight in a pharmacy! I suppose if you get killed he'd be charged for murder too, but what good does that do you. If someone gets killed 50/50 chance it'd be you. (If ONLY 2 people have guns)
Click to expand...


But if the robber knows the pharmacy is armed and dangerous...they would think twice before trying to rob an armed pharmacy.

Weapons don't cause violence. But the imbalance in arms race does...:smuggrin: So..basically, a lack of weapons on one side can lead to violence. We the US can go beat up on Saddam..because we know his weapons are no match for ours.. but we don't just go pick a fight with the Russians or Chinese..

And a pack of lions won't attack healthy rhino, elephant, or water buffalo.. but will attack old and decrepid animals..

You don't walk up to a big 300lb NFL lineman and punch him out...

You don't try to rob a policeman...

you get it Razorback??
 
Are presciption drugs usually stolen by people who are addicts or are they planning to sell the drugs?

If addicts, then extra security may not work since the pharmacy is the only place for them to get their fix. But they would have to be more sophisticated in order to rob an armed pharmacy with good surveillance.
 
Forgive my stupidity, but don't you guys have to go to the back to get the meds? Why don't they have a good locking door that you could quickly swing shut when some bastard tries to pull this? Or are they worried the guy will start shooting up the store and hit all the customers.
 
ZpackSux said:
But if the robber knows the pharmacy is armed and dangerous...they would think twice before trying to rob an armed pharmacy.

Weapons don't cause violence. But the imbalance in arms race does...:smuggrin: So..basically, a lack of weapons on one side can lead to violence. We the US can go beat up on Saddam..because we know his weapons are no match for ours.. but we don't just go pick a fight with the Russians or Chinese..

And a pack of lions won't attack healthy rhino, elephant, or water buffalo.. but will attack old and decrepid animals..

You don't walk up to a big 300lb NFL lineman and punch him out...

You don't try to rob a policeman...

you get it Razorback??
Click to expand...

No, I get it. Grew up in Backwoods AR. If anyone understands that he who has the biggest gun gets the least trouble it's someone raised in Hillbilly central. Problem is when someone:
a) doesnt know about the gun (CONCEALED weapons license.)
b) doesn't care about the gun (addict with a fix)
c) Thinks he has a bigger gun (LAPD vs 6 bank robbers w/armor piercing
rounds)

Then you've got problems. Concealed weapon vs drawn weapon, timing says unless they've got bad aim you lose. Concealed vs concealed, depends on who's faster. You do get the element of surprise that way. (You also win if they're bluffing.) Drawn weapon vs drawn weapon (I think accuracy rules here.)

This doesn't even take into account (as mentioned above) if there are customers in the store. If they get hurt you lose either way. That's why banks and cashiers are generally told if you get a note demanding money, you just give it to them. When I worked fuel desk cashier at Flying J we were told you would be fired if you tried to resist armed robber. Not worth the risk to yourself or customers.

Besides they're risking whatever to life for a few hundred pills which the store paid what, a few dollars for. Are you willing to risk injury and/or death for the same lousy pills. Yeah, it sucks to get robbed (been there, done that), it sucks worse to be dead I think.
 
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1780008/posts

Hire that tech...:smuggrin: and then get you a gun like this and put it on the pharmacy display...

You worked at a Flying J? I love truck stops.. have a new appreciation for well designed truck stops... love getting on the CAT scale..


pilotarmedqq5.jpg
 
Accuracy of country boy who can hit a f'n bumble bee 150 yards away with a .22 > Accuracy of cracked out ghetto thug who "learned to shoot" from rap videos.
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
Accuracy of country boy who can hit a f'n bumble bee 150 yards away with a .22 > Accuracy of cracked out ghetto thug who "learned to shoot" from rap videos.
Click to expand...

Double barrel shotgun.
 
Glowwyrm said:
Someone needs to wise up and realize that security for pharmacies is a good idea. Especially if other pharmacies in the area are getting robbed. I'm sorry to hear you went through something like this but so glad to hear you and everyone else are ok. I really wish they would allow all pharmacists to take the concealed courses, get their license, and carry a gun with them at work. I know I'd feel much better with a gun. But, I am a Texan so maybe I'm biased ;) Texan=We shoot back
Click to expand...
The op's rxn is sort of ironic considering the op's screen name :rolleyes:

not to make light of the situation but I hope to never fill out a 106 form
 
Here is the loser that robbed me on Sunday. Sadly enough, the quality sucks. The manager here is complaining about there being no security cameras at the pharmacy. Even the detective complained about no security cameras near the pharmacy. Rite Aid or any other pharmacy needs to stop being cheap and do something about this serious flaw in the pharmacy. The more easy going we are, the more robberies we are going to have.
 

Attachments

  • GAMES-1a.jpg
    GAMES-1a.jpg
    5.2 KB · Views: 134
Hey! That looks like me!
 
ZpackSux said:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1780008/posts

Hire that tech...:smuggrin: and then get you a gun like this and put it on the pharmacy display...

You worked at a Flying J? I love truck stops.. have a new appreciation for well designed truck stops... love getting on the CAT scale..


pilotarmedqq5.jpg
Click to expand...

"My only hope was Betty Lou. She was da one. A combination AK57-uzi-radar-laser-triple barrel-double scoped-heat seeking shotgun."
Bananas at Large "Turdy Point Buck"
 
Farmercyst said:
Besides they're risking whatever to life for a few hundred pills which the store paid what, a few dollars for. Are you willing to risk injury and/or death for the same lousy pills. Yeah, it sucks to get robbed (been there, done that), it sucks worse to be dead I think.
Click to expand...

That's based on the assumption that they don't want to shoot you. They just want to get the drugs and go on their merry little way. Sometimes they DO want to shoot and kill you. If you are in that situation and no one else is armed (whether it be you or security) you might as well kiss your ass good bye.
 
That must have been so scary! I'm glad no one was hurt, sorry this happened to you :(
 
There has been a rash of Oxycontin robberies in Orange County.
Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, just recently Lake Forest, and Orange. These pills are highly addictive. I wouldn't be surprised if they moved these pills out of retail into a more secure pharmacy. Pharmacies are becoming like banks with little or no security. At $80 dollar a pill, you can make alot of money off the streets. The pharmacy that just got robbed in Lake Forest lost an estimated $150,000 in oxycontin pills when a thief broke in.
 
if anyone working in a pharmacy is robbed, just remain calm and do what the robber wants you to do. Don't fight back. Getting shot at is the least you want to do. The company could care less if you die. You're just another employee. But if the company loses money so be it, it doesn't come out of your paycheck. As you are getting robbed, make sure you look at the robber and get a good description of him or her(height, weight, ethnicity, clothing, any unique facial marks(bruises, moles, unibrow, tatooes). Also, keep track of what he is touching so they can get fingerprints. If he gives you a note, take it and pretend you are reading it and go get the oxycontins and put it down. If you can, try not to leave the note there on the counter so the robber can take it back. It is a great piece of evidence(contains his handwriting and also fingerprints) so they can connect him to other robberies. Also, pharmacies should have a panic button they push when this happens. Or when the robber is not looking, dial 911 and leave it there, the police can trace it.
 
go to :
http://news.google.com

type in "pharmacy"

today's search results: out of 30 results, 6 of them were about pharmacy robberies (yes, 1/5 or 20% of them). That's too many.

The idea of pharamcy robberies never entered my head. I don't knw why. it jus tnever did. i did think about pharmacy safety andt he only thing that came to mind was say you refuse to fill a prescription either b/c the patient was making a scene (2) out or refills (3) illegible script during after hours etc etc etc and thent he pissed off patient may threaten you and you are scared about walking to you car after work.

But pharmacy robberies? 20% (in various parts of the country), remember that! absurd
 
gaba101 said:
go to :
http://news.google.com

type in "pharmacy"

today's search results: out of 30 results, 6 of them were about pharmacy robberies (yes, 1/5 or 20% of them). That's too many.

The idea of pharamcy robberies never entered my head. I don't knw why. it jus tnever did. i did think about pharmacy safety andt he only thing that came to mind was say you refuse to fill a prescription either b/c the patient was making a scene (2) out or refills (3) illegible script during after hours etc etc etc and thent he pissed off patient may threaten you and you are scared about walking to you car after work.

But pharmacy robberies? 20% (in various parts of the country), remember that! absurd
Click to expand...


Most retail pharmacies have little or no security and they are the ones who hold the expensive and addictive oxycontin pills. Many of the small independent pharmacies would have to order these pills so they get robbed less. If you work in a pharmacy and someone calls you to check if you have any oxycontin pills in stock, check first the name of the person to see if they are a regular customer. If not a regular customer, tell them you don't have it and would have to order it and can only order it if the customer brings the actual prescription in.
 
rxliteguy said:
if anyone working in a pharmacy is robbed, just remain calm and do what the robber wants you to do. Don't fight back. Getting shot at is the least you want to do. The company could care less if you die. You're just another employee. But if the company loses money so be it, it doesn't come out of your paycheck. As you are getting robbed, make sure you look at the robber and get a good description of him or her(height, weight, ethnicity, clothing, any unique facial marks(bruises, moles, unibrow, tatooes). Also, keep track of what he is touching so they can get fingerprints. If he gives you a note, take it and pretend you are reading it and go get the oxycontins and put it down. If you can, try not to leave the note there on the counter so the robber can take it back. It is a great piece of evidence(contains his handwriting and also fingerprints) so they can connect him to other robberies. Also, pharmacies should have a panic button they push when this happens. Or when the robber is not looking, dial 911 and leave it there, the police can trace it.
Click to expand...

Very good pointers. These robberies definitely sound pretty scary. And like someone mentioned, you never know if the robber will shoot you after you give him the pills. Most the of time, the robber probably won't shoot. But there's always those really messed ones that just might. After watching so many episodes of 24, I definitely fear the worst. So I'm all for improved security measures and some security training for pharmacists.
 
rxliteguy said:
if anyone working in a pharmacy is robbed, just remain calm and do what the robber wants you to do. Don't fight back. Getting shot at is the least you want to do. The company could care less if you die. You're just another employee. But if the company loses money so be it, it doesn't come out of your paycheck. As you are getting robbed, make sure you look at the robber and get a good description of him or her(height, weight, ethnicity, clothing, any unique facial marks(bruises, moles, unibrow, tatooes). Also, keep track of what he is touching so they can get fingerprints. If he gives you a note, take it and pretend you are reading it and go get the oxycontins and put it down. If you can, try not to leave the note there on the counter so the robber can take it back. It is a great piece of evidence(contains his handwriting and also fingerprints) so they can connect him to other robberies. Also, pharmacies should have a panic button they push when this happens. Or when the robber is not looking, dial 911 and leave it there, the police can trace it.
Click to expand...
No offense but trying to hit a panic button or trying to call 911 while in the store is NOT the best action. You need to wait until you and all customer are out of danger. Any person who works security would tell you this ... In theory its a great idea but you have to put your safety first. Get them out of there then call the police. I've seen pissed robbers start shooting ... its not fun.
 
mshheaddoc said:
No offense but trying to hit a panic button or trying to call 911 while in the store is NOT the best action. You need to wait until you and all customer are out of danger. Any person who works security would tell you this ... In theory its a great idea but you have to put your safety first. Get them out of there then call the police. I've seen pissed robbers start shooting ... its not fun.
Click to expand...

Of course you don't want the suspect to be in the store when the cops come but to give them a heads up would be nice so they can follow the guy escaping in his car. I doubt the police would barge into the store and go after the suspects. They would just wait on the main street and chase the car. A panic button can alert other employees so they can be alert in watching the vehicle he took off in and where. A 911 call without saying anything can be traced and give the police a heads start. Calling 911 after the person takes off is too late. By the time the cops come, the suspect is miles away from the pharmacy.
 
rxliteguy said:
Of course you don't want the suspect to be in the store when the cops come but to give them a heads up would be nice so they can follow the guy escaping in his car. I doubt the police would barge into the store and go after the suspects. They would just wait on the main street and chase the car. A panic button can alert other employees so they can be alert in watching the vehicle he took off in and where. A 911 call without saying anything can be traced and give the police a heads start. Calling 911 after the person takes off is too late. By the time the cops come, the suspect is miles away from the pharmacy.
Click to expand...


When you are actually in the situation (gun waving at you) the ONLY thing anyone needs to be worrying about is complying with the demands and getting the perp the heck out of there. I wouldn't want one of my employees trying to go for a panic button or use the phone. It might cost them their life.
 
Please please please talk to someone who is officially in the security business before you give out advice like this. In theory this is a great idea. Trust me. I had the same thoughts. But you have to realize, the panic button DOESN'T alert the police or other employees and it would be hard to do that especially without alerting the robbers at some point. So you do alert them, what are they supposed to do? A good robber would take control of all the employees in the area. Are you going to have a panic room? Not really feasible for alot of businesses.

Banks that have the "panic button" alerts a security company which has to call and verify there was a robbery. Other companys that have this button usually have the same protocol. These buttons often get pressed accidentally. Calling 911 after they take off is NOT always too late. Our former security official (former FBI) who would explain why you NEVER ever hit a panic button or call 911 DURING a robbery gave one simple summary that I've already stated. Don't be a hero, you are MORE important than anything else in the world. You call 911 while its going on? The avg response time is probably a couple of minutes. A good robbery will be over in 3 mins. (That's if they know what they are doing). You do NOT want to have a hostage situation. You want to make sure that this robber is out of your hair then call 911 as SOON as they leave. That is why pharmacies have video to review. Let the cops do their job and you do yours. The cops have been catching robbers for years without the use of a panic button. But noting the car they leave the premise in, what they were wearing, distinguishing accents, what was said, or what direction will help the cops. They can't help you if you decided to play hero and decide to get yourself shot b/c you tried to call 911 while there is a robbery in progress and you pissed off the robber.

We had someone call 911 while there was a robbery in progress (luckily it was a customer who was in drive through and went down the street to use a phone). The cops didn't even make it there in time. And I'm glad b/c this robbers nickname was "crazy eddie". And yes, they did end up catching him.
 
ITA to everything mshheaddoc said. After the robbery/shooting incident I mentioned earlier, I was upset because I couldn't identify the robber. I couldn't remember very much at all about what he looked like, only the gun. The lead detective told me, "Don't worry about it. You did your job. You lived. It's MY job to catch this guy." And they did.

I almost did get shot that night, not because of anything stupid I did, but because someone else did something stupid, trying to be a hero. It's not a good idea. None of us have superpowers.
 
at the pharmacy that i work at, i was told that if someone(not a regular customer) calls by phone for a stock check on oxycontin we would do as accordingly:
1.) if we have it in stock, we tell them we don't have it in stock and would need to order it only if they bring in the actual prescription. We tell them it will come in next day.
2.) if we don't have it in stock, we would tell them to bring in the actual prescription for us to order it and it will arrive in 3 days.

If it was a regular customer that we know, we would just act normally.
 
These oxycontin robberies are getting way out of hand. Just last week, another pharmacy in Orange was robbed. The robber jumped over the counter and placed a bag over the pharmacist's head and told her to get on the ground. The suspect took off in the same Black Suburban with tinted windows, that was used in the 3 robberies in Costa Mesa. The incident was not released to the public because the police suspected the robber was craving the attention.
 
I just found out at a family reunion that many years ago in small Oregon town area my great uncle was manager of a bank and a guy came in with a .38 and demanded money and was pointing the gun at my uncle. My uncle just hit his hand away grabbed his neck throwing him to the ground and proceeded to break the guys arm while on the ground to make sure he was out of commission. This was in the 70s I believe, when you could actually defend yourself. I am sure my uncle would have been sued these days for assaulting the robber, Oregon being a liberal state and all.
 
qhal said:
These oxycontin robberies are getting way out of hand. Just last monday, another Rite Aid in Orange County was robbed. In Fountain Valley, the robber jumped over the counter and placed a bag over the pharmacist's head and told her to get on the ground. The suspect took off in the same Black Suburban with tinted windows, that was used in the 3 robberies in Costa Mesa. The incident was not released to the public because the police suspected the robber was craving the attention.
Click to expand...

Are any of the pharmacies making any sort of attempt at hiring some sort of security for these pharmacies? No wonder why they keep getting hit. Easy pickings.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

C
Robbery at North Texas Walgreens
Replies
0
Views
570
Chrish
C
I
  • Locked
Uh oh. Its happening
Replies
14
Views
2K
iamapharmacist
I
A
Oh, to be a logistics manager today
Replies
0
Views
603
alpha12
A
owlegrad
OxyContin no longer promoted
Replies
24
Views
2K
Modest_anteater
Modest_anteater
Dr Wario
Where oh where did all little pills go, where oh where could they be?
Replies
8
Views
1K
maria1oh
M
Top