With the dramatic rise of pharmacy robberies in the province over the past seven years and increasing levels of violence, the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia beefed up its security requirements for all community pharmacies by installing time-delay safes.
British Columbia is the first jurisdiction in Canada to mandate security requirements for community pharmacies with this program DrugSafeBC.
By July 2014, the number of pharmacy robberies and break-ins had already surpassed the total number of incidents in all of 2013. Weapons are used in 92 per cent of pharmacy robberies in BC. To address the rise in pharmacy robberies, DrugSafeBC requires all community pharmacies to store narcotic drugs in a time-delay safe and post standard signage at all external entrances.
Canadian supermarket chain Safeway also uses time-delay safes within their pharmacies and have not reported a single pharmacy robbery since their implementation.
“The College of Pharmacists of BC works to protect public safety and our announcement today shows our commitment to this responsibility,” said College Board Chair Anar Dossa RPh.
The College of Pharmacists of BC administers the Health Professions Act and is responsible for making sure every pharmacist and pharmacy technician in BC is fully qualified and able to provide the public with safe and ethical care. 
Pharmacy robberies in British Columbia have increased dramatically over the past seven years, accompanied by increasing levels of violence.