CVS Health has completed the installation of time delay safe technology in all 838 CVS Pharmacy locations throughout Florida, including those in Target stores.
The safes 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.
The company's rollout of time delay safe technology is in support of partnerships with local and state law enforcement and the retail community to fight back against escalating organized retail crime.
[See also: CVS Health Fights Crime With Time Delay Tech]
"Supporting law enforcement efforts in their battle against organized retail crime remains a key focus for our company," said CVS region director Ricardo Lopez during a news conference. "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."
"I am very proud of our private sector partner for thinking and implementing innovative ways to fight organized retail crime. Local, state, and federal law enforcement partners continuously collaborate with our retail industry to minimize the economic impact to all of our residents. We strive to encourage all of the members in the retail industry to join the fight against organized retail crime," said director Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez, Miami-Dade Police Department.
"We are proud to support CVS Health in its endeavor to make our retail pharmacies a safe place to shop and work. Time delay safes will not only work to combat the opioid epidemic and prevent criminal activity, but it will also save lives. Thank you for helping to safeguard your CVS Pharmacy stores to strengthen safety at retail pharmacies in Florida," said Scott Shalley, CEO of Florida Retail Federation.
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% decline in pharmacy robberies in that area. Since then, there has been a 50% decline in robberies at CVS Pharmacy locations with the safes.