New safes for controlled substances
anticipated to help reduce organized retail crime
All 213 CVS Pharmacy® locations across
Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas now using time delay safe
technology
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Sept. 13,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of an ongoing commitment
to support law enforcement and help build safer communities, CVS
Health® (NYSE: CVS) today announced the installation of time delay
safe technology in all 213 CVS Pharmacy locations, including those
in Target stores, across three states in the southern U.S. The
states and corresponding number of pharmacy locations include
Louisiana (133), Mississippi (57) and Arkansas (23).
The safes are anticipated to help prevent pharmacy robberies and
the potential for associated diversion of controlled substance
medications — including opioid medications such as oxycodone and
hydrocodone — by electronically delaying the time it takes for
pharmacy employees to open the safe. In addition, the safes are
anticipated to benefit the safety and well-being of CVS Pharmacy
customers and employees.
The company's rollout of time delay safe technology is in
support of each of these states' partnerships with local and state
law enforcement and the retail community to fight back against
escalating organized retail crime.
"Supporting law enforcement efforts in their battle against
organized retail crime remains a key focus for our company," said
Thomas M. Moriarty, chief policy
officer and general counsel, CVS Health, today during a news
conference at a CVS Pharmacy in New
Orleans. "Criminal activities that organized retail crime
rings fund are a clear danger to our communities, so it is
important that retailers, law enforcement and political leaders
work together to solve this problem. Time delay safes can help
reduce the theft and diversion of prescription medications and
bring added security to our stores which creates a safe environment
for our patients and colleagues."
"Crime is out of control, and it is going to take a
multi-dimensional approach to help keep our neighbors safe,"
said Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. "As I
work to combat criminal activities, I am grateful for public and
private partners like CVS who are taking proactive approaches to
enhancing public safety. Together, we can and we will make
Louisiana a safer place to live,
work, and visit."
CVS Health first implemented time delay safe technology in 2015
in CVS Pharmacy locations across Indianapolis, a city experiencing a high
volume of pharmacy robberies at the time. The company saw a 70
percent decline in pharmacy robberies among the Indianapolis stores where time delay safes had
been installed. Since then, the company has introduced time delay
safes across 32 states nationwide, and the District of Columbia, resulting in a 50
percent decline in robberies at CVS pharmacies in those local
communities.
The time delay function cannot be overridden and is designed to
serve as a deterrent to would-be pharmacy robbers whose goal is to
enter and exit their robbery targets as quickly as possible. All
CVS Pharmacy locations with this technology display visible signage
warning that time delay safes are in use to prevent on-demand
access to controlled substance narcotics.
The CVS Health time delay safe program is one of many company
initiatives to help address and prevent prescription medication
misuse and diversion.
Presently, the company supports over 4,300 safe medication
disposal units in CVS Pharmacy locations and through local law
enforcement organizations nationwide. Together, these existing
medication disposal units have collected more than 4 million pounds
of unwanted medications that might otherwise have been diverted,
misused, or ended up in the water supply.
For downloadable time delay safe photos, please visit the Media
Resource Center.
About CVS Health
CVS Health® is the leading health
solutions company, delivering care like no one else can. We reach
more people and improve the health of communities across America
through our local presence, digital channels and over 300,000
dedicated colleagues – including more than 40,000 physicians,
pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners. Wherever and whenever
people need us, we help them with their health – whether that's
managing chronic diseases, staying compliant with their medications
or accessing affordable health and wellness services in the most
convenient ways. We help people navigate the health care system –
and their personal health care – by improving access, lowering
costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of
health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Follow
@CVSHealth on social media.
Media contact:
Shannon
Dillon, CVS Health
346-291-7131
Shannon.Dillon@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health