How Thief Steal In A Community Pharmacy

Community pharmacy is under attack in Nigeria. This is coming from fraudsters and thief's. I am not talking about those with arms. I am talking about those that come to play pranks.

Customer stealing techniques

Over the years, I have witnessed different methods used by these thief's in community pharmacies. They keep updating different methods. It is left for community pharmacies to invent different ways to crack down.on these thief's.

Stealing Methods Use

Distraction Techniques

This is by far the most common method these people employ to steal. They are either here to steal expensive supplements, brand drugs, control drugs or cash.

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No thief comes and steals without doing feasibility studies and market surveys. They must have come maybe to buy something as cheap as a paracetamol tablet. They observe the working of the pharmacy.

When they strike, they will be asking for the price of several drugs. They do this to distract attention from themselves. They will be pointing at several drugs at a time. If only one person is attending to them, they will pick what they want to when the person turns towards the shelf to get drugs. If there are more than one person, they wait for another customer to come and distract the second person.

Another thing they do is that they steal the product, put it on a table or shelf. They then use their bag to cover it. When they are about to leave, they pack their bag along with the product. If you are not sensitive, they will disappear with the product.

Money Change Technique

This is not very common as the thief can easily be caught. The thief will ask for a name drug. When the drug is given to the thief, he will hand over the cash which is usually the highest denomination (#1000 note) to the sales assistant or cashier. Immediately, the thief will turn and say this is not the actual drug he wants but a different one. When the other one is given to the thief, the thief will reject it saying the price is too high. If the other products the thief wants are not available, he will request for a refund of his money. He will hand over the first drug to the sales assistant and ask for the money. Immediately the money is handed over to him, he will swap it with a lower denomination and ask why is the cashier giving him a lower denomination. If you are not careful, you may be made to think you actually have a lower denomination.

Feigning Sick

These sets of people come to the pharmacy claiming to be sick. They will start begging other customers.for money to buy their drugs. They will allow the customer to go and take the money home. When the money is handed over to the cashier, they will drop the drug and be demanding for the money in lieu of the drug.

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The other group will start shopping on top of the customer's bill if the customer is not looking. If the customer intends to buy drugs worth two thousand naira, they will start adding provisions and other products in the absence of the customer. The thief will disappear almost immediately with the product. When the customer comes back, his bill has gone up.

Bulk Supply

This is very rare. But of all the methods of stealing in a community pharmacy, this is by far the most complex and involves huge amounts of money. The thief will come to your pharmacy demanding for a drug that is scarce. Common drugs are those used for animals. He will say the drug can only be sourced by a pharmacist. Then he will suggest a man who can sell the same drug in bulk to you. The man will accept to sell but on one condition. You must pay up front. Make that payment at your own risk. Your money and the so-called drug is gone.

Fake Currency Note

Another method is the use of fake currency notes. He will bring out ₦1000 notes and ask for ₦700 to settle someone. When you ask what the thief wants to buy in the pharmacy, they will mention a drug. If you have it, they will collect it and give you ₦1000 and take the change. If you don't have it we didn't have said drug, the thief will demand for another drug. The thief will then exchange the ₦500 note with a fake one and hand back the ₦700 that he will go elsewhere to look for the drug either looking for a cheaper rate or to look for the exact one he demanded and you don't have.

Exchange Drug

This is an old method. They come into the pharmacy with an empty pack of a drug. They demand for the drug. Little distraction, they will swap their own with the one you're selling. Most of those products are either fake or have expired.

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Fake Bank Alert

No matter the business you are doing in Nigeria, fake bank alerts are becoming common. But it is very easy to detect. They will buy drugs and ask for the amount. They will edit an old alert in one phone and send it to another phone with the name of your pharmacy and the price. They have already saved the sending phone number with the name of their bank. It will appear like 1 message from unity bank. When they open it, it will show the details of an old transaction but with details of the pharmacy and the amount. You will never receive an alert. They will claim it is your bank network that is delaying your alert. They will pretend they are in a hurry to go. This is very difficult to detect except you have to wait for your own credit alert.

As stealing becomes more and more common in pharmacies, it is our collective action to prevent it headlong.