Spokane sees rash of painkiller robberies

SPOKANE, Wash. Pharmacies in this city in Eastern Washington have seen an increase in robberies lately, but the robbers are demanding prescription painkillers instead of money, according to the Spokane Spokesman-Review.

Two weeks ago, police arrested and jailed some of the robbers two weeks ago, but a week later, a Rite Aid store was robbed.

Police said the robbers are mostly addicts rather than drug dealers, and they usually demand OxyContin (oxycodone) pills. The company that makes the drug, Purdue Pharma, has created a program called Pattern Analysis Tracking Robberies and Other Losses, or RxPATROL, which shares information with police and Crime Stoppers.