Around 9 in 10 (88 per cent) of pharmacies have seen a surge in incidents of shoplifting in the last year, a new survey by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has found.
A new survey of around 500 pharmacies by the NPA also found that 87 per cent had seen an increase in aggressive and intimidating behaviour towards pharmacy teams in the last year whilst 22 per cent had even seen physical assaults on staff.
Of those that reported these criminal incidents to the police, 73 per cent believed they received an insufficient response.
The NPA, who represent over 6000 independent pharmacies in the UK, have condemned the abuse of hard working pharmacy staff and urged the police to do more to deter shoplifters.
Pharmacies have warned that the potential theft of medicines, including controlled drugs, could have serious consequences for someone's health and may be being stolen for criminal gain.
Some medicines could be being mixed, making dangerous concoctions, and theft from pharmacies is potentially a more serious criminal offence than common shoplifting.
Some pharmacies have reported to the NPA that they have taken additional steps to protect their teams, such as the introduction of body worn cameras and the employment of security staff.
Some pharmacies have also reported that hostile behaviour from a minority of patients can be caused by frustrations due to national shortages of certain medications.
Pharmacy teams can often be more vulnerable to threatening or abusive behaviour than other parts of the NHS. Pharmacies are often more isolated and can bear the brunt of frustrations from patients who been let down by wider parts of the health system.
Pharmacies are not required to supply NHS medicines to people committing or threatening to commit a criminal offence or who is accompanied by someone doing so.
The NPA have called on the NHS to provide a similar level of support that is offered to other parts of primary care, such as GP practices, to help protect pharmacies and their teams.
In the past, the NHS has provided funding to GP surgeries to make changes to improve security, such as to fit panic alarms and install CCTV.
Around 90-95 per cent of an average pharmacy’s work is providing NHS services such as the dispensing of medication or running vaccination campaigns.
Henry Gregg, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association said:
“These are appalling findings and show that pharmacies are seeing a significant increase in shoplifting and other criminal behaviour.
“It is particularly concerning to hear of reports of physical assaults as well as threats towards pharmacy staff, which is totally unacceptable.
"Due to their accessible nature, pharmacy teams can often be more exposed to abuse and threats than their primary care colleagues.
“Although pharmacies are taking their own steps to protect their staff and premises, the police should do much more to tackle crimes like shoplifting which is becomingly increasingly common place.
“Theft of medication from a pharmacy, such as strong pain relief or benzodiazepines, could have serious consequence for someone’s health.
“We need to do more to tackle shoplifting as well as offering pharmacies similar support to other NHS colleagues in primary care to protect their staff and their premises.”
Notes to editors
The NPA provides a range of resources to help support member pharmacies tackle crime and intimidating behaviour.
Case studies
Ashley Cohen, Pharmacy Owner, Leeds:
We have 2 pharmacies in East Leeds and within a few months of each other had attempted break ins through our back door over night after the pharmacies were closed. Both doors had security grills attached but the individuals tried to cut these out and then cut through the doors. It caused significant damage and needed new security doors and grills to be replaced.
In one of our pharmacies we had a spate of 3 occasions where we had individuals throw bricks through our main windows. Not only did this cause lots of damage and disruption but also made our staff feel unsettled. Within one week of getting news windows replaced this was repeated again.
As a service we are never protected to the same level that other primary care or NHS organisations are protected.
Sanjeev Panesar, Pharmacy Owner, Birmingham:
Over the past 12-18 months, we’ve witnessed a noticeable rise in petty theft across our pharmacies.
While some offenders attempt to steal discreetly, slipping items into pockets or bags when they think no one is watching, others are alarmingly brazen—filling bags openly and walking out without any concern for being caught. Sometimes, our team spots this behaviour directly; other times, it’s members of the public who alert us.
All of our premises are equipped with CCTV, and footage is regularly circulated within our pharmacy group to raise awareness among staff. We also collaborate with neighbouring businesses to share information and keep an eye out for repeat offenders. In fact, we’ve considered displaying photos of known thieves within our pharmacies and partnering businesses as a visible deterrent—making it clear that offenders are being watched and will be reported.
Our staff can endure verbal abuse or physical intimidation, neither of which should be part of their role. These are healthcare professionals, here to serve their communities and care for patients. Facing such hostility is not only disheartening but has a lasting effect on job satisfaction, morale, and feelings of safety at work.
There is a difficult balance between attempting to recover stolen goods and ensuring the safety of our team. Staff welfare remains at the heart of every decision we make.
As the owner, I’ve personally intervened and even chased on several occasions to confront offenders—not because it’s ideal, but to show support for my team and send a clear message: this behaviour will not be tolerated.
In the past, we’ve brought in security guards, which has significantly reduced and often put a stop to theft, but this comes at a considerable cost—especially in a sector already under immense financial strain due to over a decade of underfunding.
It’s incredibly frustrating to see our teams deal with this reality, despite all the preventative measures we’ve implemented. Instead of focusing on protecting our premises from theft, we should be spending our time and energy developing innovative services, supporting patient care, and improving community health.
That is the work we’re passionate about—and it’s where our focus should be.
