CVS Health has installed time-delay safes in 30 Nebraska pharmacy locations, nine of which are in Lincoln. The safes have been introduced as a measure to deter thefts of controlled substances, such as opioids. The safes will only open following an electronically-forced delay.
The time-delay functions cannot be overriden and are designed to deter crooks from entering a pharmacy with the aim of robbing it, since they won’t be able to get in and out quickly. All locations with the safes visibly display signs warning would-be robbers of their usage.
CVS previously installed similar time-delay safes in Indianapolis in 2015 and saw a 70-percent reduction in pharmacy robberies. A 50-percent decline in such crimes resulted after CVS expanded the program nationwide. With the latest additions, CVS pharmacies have protection in 45 states.