IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 326 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 2, 2009 Mr. McMahon submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Expressing support for designation of the week of April 13, 2009, through April 17, 2009, as Protect Your Pharmacy Week, and for other purposes.

Whereas with a renewed national spotlight on prescription drug abuse, it is important to note the related issue of crimes against pharmacies; Whereas there are indications that the frequency of violent acts to obtain controlled substances in our Nation’s pharmacies is on the rise; Whereas it is estimated that prescription drug crime is the source of between 25 to 30 percent of the country’s drug problem, according to the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators; Whereas pharmacy owners are on the front line of this new war on drugs and need to know how to protect their pharmacy, community, patients, and the environment; Whereas in April 2008, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), Federal Bureau of Investigation Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI LEEDA) and Purdue Pharma L.P. (collectively with NCPA and FBI LEEDA, the “Partnership”) announced a Partnership to combat pharmacy crime by improving pharmacy safety and security; Whereas the Partnership declared the third week of April as Protect Your Pharmacy Week and encouraged pharmacists in all practice settings to take steps to protect staff and patients from pharmacy crime, including prescription drug theft; Whereas NCPA and Purdue Pharma launched RxPATROL in 2003, a collaborative effort between industry and law enforcement designed to collect, collate, analyze, and disseminate pharmacy theft information; Whereas RxPATROL helps protect pharmacies and ensures legitimate patients' access to life-sustaining medicines; Whereas RxPATROL has teamed up with neighborhood crime fighting groups such as Crime Stoppers; Whereas by working with local media outlets, Crime Stoppers can expedite the identification and apprehension of suspects who commit crimes; Whereas community pharmacists can not only benefit from this initiative by helping law enforcement apprehend pharmacy robbers, but community pharmacists can also gain access to important information on robbery trends and patterns that will help reduce their vulnerability to theft; Whereas by making this information available to pharmacists, NCPA and Purdue Pharma hope to reduce the number of pharmacy thefts across the country; and Whereas the week of April 13, 2009, through April 17, 2009, is an appropriate week to designate as “Protect Your Pharmacy Week”: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)supports the designation of Protect Your Pharmacy Week; (2)recognizes the continuing importance of pharmacies; and (3)encourages pharmacies to take steps to reduce their vulnerability to theft.