Pharmacists call for more gardaí as robberies soar

THE number of fake or stolen prescriptions handed in at pharmacies has dropped, but the number of raids remains high, new figures reveal.

A total of 220 raids on pharmacies have been carried out since the beginning of 2005, with the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) calling for more gardaí on the beat near stores as well as tougher bail conditions for repeat offenders.

A spokesperson for the IPU said raids on pharmacies often led to staff being traumatised in addition to increased overheads, such as security costs.