A Gold Coast pharmacist says the border closure between Queensland and New South Wales has led to more chemist stores being burgled across the city.
Biggera Waters pharmacist, Amin Javanmard, said recent thefts were because illegal prescription medication is hard to get on Gold Coast streets.
"The border closure has been difficult to get anything through the New South Wales/Queensland border which has obviously contributed to a lack of supply," he said.
"There has also been changes in how difficult it is for people to see doctors on an ad-hoc basis and that we feel has contributed to a decrease in supply on the streets as well."
"It is not coming over the border, it is harder for people to get it prescribed but obviously the demand is still there."
Changes to prescription drugs
Queensland Police have been investigating possible links between the robbery of three chemists in the Logan and Gold Coast areas last Thursday.
In all three instances, the offenders broke into the chemists, stealing medication and prescription drugs.
In March, five other chemists were also broken into on the Gold Coast.
Mr Javanmard said the situation is not expected to get any better in the future with more changes making it more difficult for doctors to prescribe long-acting pain medication through Medicare.
"Things like a long-acting opioid killer especially are going to be a lot harder to prescribe and get subsidised in the future," he said.
"That may make that supply harder to make its way onto the illicit market."
Police investigations continue
It comes as police investigate the death of 19-year-old Cian English.
The teenager's body was found at the foot of a Surfers Paradise apartment block in the early hours of Saturday morning.
It is alleged Mr English was trying to escape a robbery when he fell to his death from the fourth floor.
Three men have been charged.
Lachlan Soper-Lagas, 18, Jason Knowles, 22, and Hayden Kratzmann, 20, each face one count of murder, two counts of armed robbery and two of deprivation of liberty.
Mr Soper-Lagas's case will be mentioned again on May 26.
Mr Knowles and Mr Kratzmann have had their matters adjourned for a committal hearing in Southport Magistrates Court on August 4.
