⚕️ Pharmacy Theft: A Silent Scourge with Multiple Consequences
Pharmacy theft, often summed up by the term shrinkage , represents much more than a simple financial loss. It's a daily challenge that weighs heavily on the profitability and management of pharmacies.
Beyond the figures, its impact spreads: depleted shelves create frustrating stockouts for loyal customers, an atmosphere of distrust can tarnish the shopping experience, and staff may feel a sense of insecurity.
However, this scourge is not inevitable. Modern strategies and high-performance technological tools exist to combat it. It's time to view technology not as a constraint, but as a strategic ally to preserve your margins and optimise your pharmacy's environment.
🔎 Top 6 Most Targeted Products: Understanding to Better Protect
To effectively protect your pharmacy, it's crucial to understand what thieves are looking for. The most targeted products share common characteristics: they are often small, high-value, lack individual protection, and are easy to conceal or quickly resell.
Identifying these items allows surveillance and prevention efforts to be concentrated on the most sensitive areas of the point of sale, transforming passive surveillance into a targeted protection strategy . Knowing the at-risk aisles is the first step to implementing an effective defence. Here are the six categories of products most frequently stolen from pharmacies:
- Dermo-cosmetics and luxury makeup products.
- Infant formula and baby care items.
- Dietary supplements, vitamins, and diet products.
- Razors and their replacement blades.
- Electric toothbrushes and their replacement heads.
- Certain over-the-counter medications (pain relief, cold treatments).
🤖 Smart Video Surveillance: Moving from Reaction to Proaction
Traditional video surveillance, while essential, is often limited to a reactive role: it allows facts to be observed once the theft has occurred, making intervention impossible. Technological innovation now allows us to move beyond this stage.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising this approach by analysing video feeds from your existing cameras in real-time . AI is specifically trained to recognise behavioural patterns and suspicious gestures typical of theft: quickly concealing a product in a bag or pocket, prolonged and abnormal loitering in an aisle…
As soon as a suspicious gesture is detected, the system sends a discreet and instant alert to the relevant staff on a mobile or tablet. This approach allows for preventive and non-confrontational intervention, such as offering assistance to the customer, defusing the situation before the theft even takes place.
📊 Concrete Benefits of AI for Securing Your Pharmacy
The integration of a smart solution goes far beyond simple gesture detection. The benefits are numerous, and innovative solutions like Oxania are designed to transform these theoretical advantages into tangible results for your pharmacy. Firstly, the reduction of shrinkage becomes palpable thanks to active prevention and a deterrent effect. Your teams are also empowered: instead of staring at screens, they receive actionable alerts and can focus on their core business, customer advice.
AI acts as an untiring virtual guard , monitoring 24/7. This technological presence is also a powerful deterrent. Finally, the system collects crucial objective data. It helps you identify the most at-risk areas, products, and time slots via dashboards, allowing you to adjust your security and merchandising strategies for maximum effectiveness .
🚀 Investing in Technology: A Winning Strategy for Your Pharmacy's Future
Considering AI detection technology as a mere expense would be a mistake. It is, in reality, a strategic investment for the performance and longevity of your pharmacy. Beyond simply securing assets, it actively contributes to creating a more serene and secure sales environment, both for your honest customers and your employees.
The impact is also felt on inventory management. By limiting unexplained losses, you ensure better product availability and optimise your supplies. By effectively protecting your margins and optimising your operations, you free up valuable resources. These resources can then be reinvested to innovate, improve the customer experience, and ensure the future growth of your pharmacy.
