Facewatch crime prevention technology set to focus on UK pharmacies

The move comes against a backdrop of mounting concern in the industry about rising crime, with the National Pharmacy Association warning of increasing incidents of theft, aggression and threats towards front line pharmacy teams.

Facewatch is now preparing to unveil Facewatch PharmacyProtect, which is designed to address the unique operational pressures faced by pharmacies as they support front line healthcare services while managing and dispensing controlled medicines.

In March this year, commenting on the ‘alarming’ rise in abuse faced by pharmacy staff, the National Pharmacy Association described the response by the police and the National Health Service as “often inadequate” (adding that the accessible position of pharmacies on the High Street leaves them somewhat more exposed than other healthcare settings.

Facewatch PharmacyProtect will make its public debut during The Pharmacy Show 2026, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham in October. Pharmacy owners, operators and industry buyers are to be invited to witness a live demonstration of the system in action. The demonstration will show how alerts about known offenders are triggered, how staff are instantly notified and how the technology operates lawfully within UK data protection legislation.

Facewatch believes the pharmacy sector faces a distinct set of crime risks that set it apart from general retail, including the targeted theft of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, increasing repeat offending by organised crime networks and a pattern of confrontation and abuse directed at staff who are often working in high-footfall environments with limited security infrastructure.

On the front line

Nick Fisher, CEO at Facewatch, explained: “Community pharmacies are on the front line of both healthcare delivery and retail crime, particularly so in relation to the rise in organised crime, which we’ve seen escalate sharply in recent years in the wider retail sector.”

Fisher continued: “What we are bringing to the pharmacy sector isn’t new. It’s a proven system that’s already helping retailers across the UK to identify repeat offenders, prevent crime and protect staff before incidents escalate.”

In addition, Fisher noted: “We want to work with the sector to better understand its specific needs. Offering open access to a demonstration of how the technology works is a vital part of that process.”

Facewatch operates as a data controller under UK’s General Data Protection Regulation and provides live facial recognition technology to a growing number of retailers across the UK, alerting retail teams instantly when individuals previously involved in criminal behaviour enter a protected store.

The company’s technology, which is used by more than 125 retailers operating thousands of stores across the UK, has helped to deter repeat offending by up to 70%, while in parallel improving staff safety and morale at a time when, according to the British Retail Consortium, there are 1,600 incidents of abuse and violence directed against shop workers every day.

In 2025 alone, the system generated more than 500,000 real-time alerts of known offenders, with each alert representing a crime deterred or a retail worker spared from abuse.

Close consultation

Facewatch has outlined that PharmacyProtect will be developed in close consultation with pharmacy operators rather than applied as an off-the-shelf retail solution. The company is actively seeking to engage pharmacy groups, independent operators and sector trade bodies ahead of the October launch.

At present, Facewatch is in the process of writing to pharmacy operators and owners alike and inviting them to meet its team members at The Pharmacy Show 2026. Interested parties looking to receive information more immediately, or who wish to register interest in witnessing the demonstration, should send an e-mail to: [email protected]

*Further information is available online at www.facewatch.co.uk