Press Call on Protect Your Pharmacy Initiative

NCPA, FBI LEEDA and Purdue Pharma, L.P. Join Forces to Fight Pharmacy Crime

WHAT: Conference call to announce a partnership with FBI LEEDA, National
Community Pharmacists and Purdue Pharma, L.P. to combat pharmacy crime. The
partners will announce the week of April 14-18 as "Protect Your Pharmacy Week"
and encourage pharmacists to take steps to protect staff and patients from
pharmacy crime, including prescription drug theft.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

DIAL-IN #:800-944-8766 (Conference Code: 45473)

WHY: With a renewed national spotlight on prescription drug abuse, it is
important to note the related issue of pharmacy crime. Despite the fact that
pharmacy crime aimed at taking controlled substances is a federal offense
punishable by 20 years in prison, there are indications that the frequency of
violent acts to obtain controlled substances in our nation's pharmacies is on
the rise. It is estimated that prescription drug crime is the source of
between 25-30 percent of the country's drug problem, according to statistics
from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the National Association of
Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI).

Launched by NCPA, the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators
(NADDI), and the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI), and Purdue Pharma,
L.P., RxPATROL(R) is a collaborative effort between the pharmaceutical
industry and law enforcement designed to collect, collate, analyze, and
disseminate pharmacy theft information. RxPATROL(R) helps protect the pharmacy
environment and ensure legitimate patients' access to life-sustaining
medicines, and since 2003, has collected information on nearly 4,000 crimes
against pharmacies across the country.

SPEAKERS:
Bruce Roberts, Executive Vice President and CEO, National Community
Pharmacists Association
Stephen Giroux, President, National Community Pharmacists Association
Aaron Graham, Vice President and Chief Security Officer for Purdue Pharma,
L.P.
Captain Richard Conklin, retired, Stamford, CT Police Department, RxPATROL(R)
Program Coordinator
Tom Stone, Executive Director, FBI LEEDA (Law Enforcement Executive
Development Association)

CONTACT:Valerie Briggs of NCPA, +1-703-838-2686, valeriebriggs@ncpanet.org

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- March 31/

SOURCE National Community Pharmacists Association