PHARMACIES in South East Queensland are at an increased risk of being burgled because of the state's COVID-19 induced border closure, a Gold Coast pharmacist believes.
Biggera Waters pharmacist, Amin Javanmard, told the ABC that the decision to shut the state off from NSW had cut access to illegal prescription medications, which had sparked an increase in smash-and-grab break-ins at pharmacies (PD 25 May).
"The border closure has been difficult to get anything through the NSW/Queensland border which has obviously contributed to a lack of supply," he said.
"There has also been changes in how difficult it is for people to see doctors on an ad-hoc basis and that we feel has contributed to a decrease in supply on the streets as well."
"It is not coming over the border, it is harder for people to get it prescribed but obviously the demand is still there."
The national broadcaster noted that at least eight South East Queensland pharmacies have been targeted by criminals since the Palaszczuk Government implemented its border shutdown in Mar.
Javanmard warned the threat to pharmacies was likely to increase as measures to reduce the prescribing of long-acting pain medications are implemented.
"Things like a long-acting opioid pain killer especially are going to be a lot harder to prescribe and get subsidised in the future," he said.
"That may make that supply harder to make its way onto the illicit market."
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