There were an average of two raids a week on pharmacies across the State last year, many of them by people wielding blood-filled syringes.
The figures were released yesterday by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland at the publication of new guidelines for pharmacists on how to protect their premises. The guidelines were drawn up in conjunction with the Garda.
Ronan Quirke, president of the society, said attacks on pharmacies were increasing. It was a national problem, he said.
"Ten years ago the majority of it would be methadone that people were after, but nowadays I think there has been a shift in what's being taken. Maybe that's to do with cocaine usage and people needing to come down from cocaine," he said. "They come in armed with screwdrivers, scissors or blood-filled syringes."
There had been incidents of people being beaten up and taken to hospital as a result of these attacks. He was also aware of people being stabbed.
In one incident last May, a man entered a Dublin pharmacy and threatened to pump a staff member "full of Aids" if she did not hand over certain drugs and cash. He was arrested and appeared in court the next morning, where he was released on bail.
Two days later he attempted to rob a neighbouring pharmacy but was stopped by customers. He returned the next day, stole cash and drugs and assaulted the manager. He was again arrested but given bail when he appeared in court.
Noeleen Harvey, a pharmacist in Dublin, said her premises had been raided several times.
She said that in addition to proprietors ensuring their premises were secure, there had to be more gardaí on the streets and the bail laws had to be tightened up. Sentences had to fit the crime, she added.
In one incident a man who had "done seven or eight pharmacies already and was out on bail for them" attempted to rob her shop. In the end, he was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Most of the raiders, she said, would be looking for benzodiasapines and sleeping tablets.
Mr Quirke said the launch of the security assessment template for pharmacies was just a first step in tackling the problem.
He called on Minister for Justice Michael McDowell to ensure, when drafting new legislation, that severe sanctions were imposed on those who attacked or raided pharmacies.
Insp Gerard Carroll of the Garda National Crime Prevention Unit, said the current bail regime was a matter for the courts.
On claims by pharmacists that more gardaí were required on the streets, he said: "I suppose everyone would like to see more guards on the street and we would like to see more guards on the street, but there is still need for business premises to have a reasonable or high level of security."
Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy strongly encouraged pharmacists to review their security in line with the new document.