Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is calling for increased protection for pharmacists and pharmacies.
Schumer said there have been about 1,800 pharmacy robberies in the past three years, and he blames the robberies on the increased ability to obtain highly addictive pain medications like Oxycontin. In a letter to the DEA, says UPI.com, he is calling for increased security infrastructure at pharmacies, local access to DEA data on pharmacy thefts and an increase in the maximum sentences for pharmacy related crimes–up to 20 years per offense, according to UPI.