"People no longer have limits": Rising thefts and assaults worry pharmacists

Nearly 9 out of 10 pharmacies have been victims of crime in the past two years. A study conducted by the French Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions (FSPF) reveals that shoplifting is the most common crime, accounting for one in five.

It's "a sign that insecurity is becoming a part of everyday life," according to Philippe Besset, president of the FSPF. "People no longer have any restraints or limits; it's a problem that's getting worse. We don't know how to respond to this," he told Apolline Matin .

Expensive, easily resold cosmetic products are a prime target for thieves. At his pharmacy in Ramonville, near Toulouse, Pierre Carpentier confirms: "These are, for example, feminine beauty products, to plump lips. Another one is an anti-wrinkle day cream."

For several months, the co-manager of this pharmacy, which has 31 employees, has had to organize to combat shoplifting. "After having thousands of euros stolen, we hired a security company," he says.

"We have two full-time security guards. We've installed cameras everywhere; we have 21 in the pharmacy," the pharmacist explains.

Another solution is to "train pharmacists," suggests Philippe Besset on RMC . "We tell them to file a complaint, equip themselves, use video surveillance, and display that the stores are protected," explains the president of the FSPF, who is calling for a "series of actions" and "more firmness" from the public authorities.

According to him, "only a third" of the pharmacists targeted file complaints. "The others think nothing will happen, but that's not true. The police are taking it into account and dealing with it," he argues.

"I urge everyone to file a complaint," urges Philippe Besset.

Jean-Marie Guillermin, vice-president of the Regional Council of Pharmacists of Occitanie, lists two different types of thieves: "A person who needs a product, who cannot afford it, and who finds it easier to steal, and then there is another type of theft, which is more mass theft, of the same product in large quantities, and we can imagine that it is to go on parallel circuits."

These repeated thefts, which continue to increase in frequency, are worrying pharmacists. The FSPF figures are published against a backdrop of insecurity for pharmacists. The National Order of Pharmacists recorded nearly 500 assaults in 2023, a 30% increase compared to 2022.