Thursday, December 19, 2013

New Pharmacy Directive: LOSS PREVENTION

Corporate has decided that they will no longer have a "loss prevention" squad. This usually involved ONE weird tattooed guy sneaking around the store looking for people shoplifting stuff. I guess he was fired or shaved his beard or both, I don't know. Anyway, the bean counters and MBAs at corporate did some research and discovered that most of the shrinking inventory takes place in the "family" section -- you know, condoms (wouldn't that be under a separate category of "non-family"? Oh, I digress.), female genital medications, shaving needs, cosmetics, health products, creams, lotions, etc.

We're told that they need our help. They've decided that since the pharmacy is close to this section it is up to us to keep an eye on things:

"Many of the Family Care items are located right in front of the pharmacy making YOUR department's employees a natural 'look out' for these high shrink items."

But then it goes on to say, "First and foremost, the responsibility of the pharmacy department is your patients and customers."


THEN the document goes on to tell us that we need to WATCH and LISTEN for suspicious activity of ORC (That's Organized Retail Crime to you folks in Idaho) and REPORT anything to the "person in charge."

What a load! Organized crime is not going to wait until the pharmacy staff is free to "watch and listen" -- they're going to hit us when we're busy! Duh. Furthermore, we can't get anyone from management to come help us now when WE really need help! They're certainly not going to run over because someone is pocketing a box of EXTRA SMALL condoms!

And yet again we have a paradox. We're supposed to put our patients and customers as our top priority but we're also supposed to watch and listen for shop-lifting. We can't do both, corporate, and that's why NORMAL companies don't expect pharmacy personnel to stop shop-lifters.

Jeez, you guys are dense.

6 comments:

Officer Cynical said...

Based on lots of experience: 1) there's no way in hell I'm apprehending a shoplifter without being armed; and 2) if you just call the cops on an shoplifter without detaining him first, he's gonna be long gone before we ever get there.

Anonymous said...

We watch people steal the $50 "detox" drinks all the time. I'm not confronting the type that uses this product. Cashiers up front aren't going to confront them. There is no security, no cameras. Corporate won't allow the product to be kept behind the counter. Yes,they know it's a problem but try to lay it in our laps. Not my problem.

Anonymous said...

I worked for such a mega-mart some years ago. They announced publicly they were not going to prosecute shoplifters if the item lifted was priced under a certain dollar threshold. How dense was that?

Anonymous said...

Just announce over the loudspeaker: guy pocketing extra small condoms in isle three. Women with vaginal discharge steeling miconazole in isle 2 etc.

Anonymous said...

Pardon me while I pick myself up off the floor from laughing so hard. Our corporate grunts put the condoms, etc. right in front of the pharmacy so we could keep an eye on theft too. We can't even get change for the cash registers within 8 hours of request, yet they expect us to call security asap if we suspect shoplifters. Yeah....like someone is going to show up.

MKB said...

Because you have nothing better to do, right?