New safes for controlled substances
anticipated to help reduce organized retail crime
All 106 CVS Pharmacy® locations across
Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming now using time delay safe
technology
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Aug. 10,
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 106 CVS Pharmacy locations, including those
in Target stores, across five states in the western U.S. The states
and corresponding number of pharmacy locations include Colorado (54), Utah (30), Montana (15), Idaho (4) and Wyoming (3).
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 state's partnership 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. "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."
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 29 states nationwide, and the District of Columbia, resulting in a 50
percent decline in robberies at CVS pharmacies in those local
communities. Other states where our CVS Pharmacy locations are
equipped with time delay safe technology include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Carolina,
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West
Virginia.
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 time delay safe program at CVS Health 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:
Monica
Prinzing
831-241-8294
PrinzingM@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health