Delivery driver robbed of $16,000 in weight‑loss medications outside pharmacy

Also new tonight, local pharmacies are on alert because of a new kind of prescription theft. Three men are facing charges after police say they assaulted a delivery driver and stole thousands of dollars worth of weight loss drugs. Action is a part of Leland Pender spoke with the pharmacy owner about how the crooks pulled off the theft. A delivery driver escaped an attack uninjured outside Smart Choice Pharmacy on Street Road in Bent Salem. Store employees are still rattled by the ordeal. I hope it never ever happens again. Around 9 a.m. Thursday, police say the driver was robbed while delivering GLP-1 medications. Two boxes containing Munjaro, Ozempic, and Trulicity worth about $16,000 were stolen. I am not aware of a black market, but I'm sure one exists. And that is probably the motive why they were there and why they committed this robbery. Two men and a 17-year-old are now behind bars facing various charges. In the days before the robbery, pharmacy staff reported calls and e-mails asking about delivery timing and when the medications would be in stock, questions that now seem suspicious. Police say their investigation determined the suspects waited in the parking lot for two hours before the driver arrived. Thank God, like, there was no gunshots or anything that were involved. But, no, there was no nothing that came out to us for us to even, like, suppose that, hey, there's something going on. McAmeen says his pharmacy in Montgomery County was robbed of GLP-1 medications last August in an overnight break-in. I've actually asked our delivery driver and previous delivery drivers if they're armed when they take these medications and drop them off to pharmacies. The blockbuster weight-loss meds have been a game-changer for thousands and are in high demand. I'm not shocked that it was targeted. In Salem, police say they're not aware of any similar cases, but that's now all under investigation. Hopefully, this does not become a trend. Now, Patel says they've already made some changes on how they accept deliveries and their vendors are adjusting as well. A smart move, according to police. By the way, all of those medications were recovered and turned back over to officials here at Smart Choice Pharmacy. Here in Ben Salem, Leland Pender, Channel 6 Action News.