One of the tremendous benefits that many healthcare outlet stores and grocery stores offer is locating a pharmacy in their location in order to compliment their ability to offer customers full service benefits. Store and pharmacy operators have an obligation to maintain the pharmacy in a safe and secure manner, by installing video surveillance and burglar alarm systems as a protection against criminal activities. In addition, visible video surveillance cameras as act as a deterrent to would be robbers.

When health and grocery stores and stand alone pharmacies install video surveillance and burglar alarm systems in their locations it is a tremendous economic benefit for them as well. Theft of pharmaceuticals, medicines and other related stock, results in higher insurance premiums as well as an increase in the prices that have customers have to pay. Increased prices can therefore mean a corresponding reduction in the pharmacy or store's customer base, which means their financial bottom line, suffers. Video surveillance is an effective tool that can be used to protect medical supplies and controlled substances as well as identify individuals who may have stolen pharmacy products.

There is a side benefit for customers as well as the general public, when pharmacies install video surveillance and burglar alarm systems at their locations. When thieves obtain controlled substances from poorly secured pharmacies, the victims who are sold those drugs and illegally obtained medicines can overdose, or engage in illegal criminal assaults, or B&E's in order to buy the stolen pharmacy drugs. So in effect, a poorly protected pharmacy may actually increase incidents of crime in and around the area that it is located.

It is very important that care and discernment is used when planning where and how you will install your video surveillance and burglary alarm security system. For instance, if your pharmacy has a drive-up window where a customer can drop off or pick up a prescription, then you need to install a video surveillance camera at two locations. The first location is to capture the vehicle coming up to the window and the second is to capture the vehicle's exit from the window. You walk-up areas of your counter should also have a video surveillance camera installed to capture in front of and behind the counter activities. Burglar alarm systems should be installed at all entrance and exit areas as well as on all windows and storage areas.

When customers come to your pharmacy they have every reasonable expectation to feel that their medical issues or challenges are going to remain confidential. Therefore when you install your video surveillance system be certain that you arrange the coverage to only capture areas that will not show confidential customer medical information.