Some pharmacies have installed steel vaults to store drugs like the painkiller OxyContin, while others have installed bars over their windows, surveillance cameras, and alarm systems. In other pharmacies in eastern Kentucky, some pharmacists work behind safety glass, while others are armed.

Pharmaceutical companies are also tightening drug delivery procedures. For instance, Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has the drug delivered in armored trucks that are tracked by satellites on certain routes.

"We feel very strongly that we have a commitment to protect the public and to make sure these drugs are available for people who need them," said Aaron Graham, vice president of corporate security at Purdue Pharma. "You do that by making sure they're not stolen or diverted. Armored vehicles are just one part of the protocol. We use space-age technology involving global positioning to make sure we know where our product is all the time."

According to Dan Smoot, chief detective for the eastern Kentucky anti-drug task force Operation UNITE, prescription drugs continue to be the leading problem for police agencies in the region.

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