EVERETT – A man armed with a rifle barged into a north Everett pharmacy in the middle of the day Sunday and demanded prescription painkillers.

No one was hurt during the robbery, but it left employees shaken.

“It’s very dangerous. You never know if the individual’s state of mind is desperation or calm. You never know what could happen,” Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

More and more pharmacies are being targeted by crooks as prescription medication abuse hits new highs all over the country.

At least two high-profile prescription drug rings recently have been uncovered in Snohomish County, including one that operated across four states and hit numerous Northwest pharmacies.

In that case, 16 Snohomish County people have pleaded guilty to federal crimes in connection with pharmacy burglaries and prescription drug distribution.

Investigators have seized $190,000, 41,000 pills and 22 firearms as part of the case, according to assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Friedman.

The DEA has reported that fighting prescription drug crimes is one of its biggest challenges.

From young people to professionals, “no segment of society is immune to this epidemic,” according to a DEA fact sheet on prescription drug abuse.

“We have seen some organized effort that’s led to various pharmacies and drug stores, in particular the theft of OxyContin,” said DEA spokesman Steve Hooten.

OxyContin is the brand name for oxycodone – a powerful and highly addictive drug used to treat pain.

Local police also are paying attention to the rise in prescription drug abuse.

“There’s a clear indication OxyContin is a major issue. We’ve known that for quite awhile,” said Pat Slack, commander of the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force.

More often people are breaking into pharmacies after hours or forging prescriptions to illegally obtain the drugs.

That was the case for an Everett couple. Earlier this month the pair pleaded guilty in federal court to charges stemming from pharmacy burglary and prescription forgery.

The couple illegally obtained the alarm code for a pharmacy in Edmonds. They deactivated the alarm before stealing oxycodone and morphine. They also were able to get blank prescription pads. The woman, a former pharmacy technician, forged doctors’ names to get more oxycodone. The couple used some of the drugs, and sold the rest.

High-strength oxycodone can sell on the street for as much as $80 a pill. Users are snorting or smoking it to get high.

“These are real strong narcotics,” Friedman said. “There’s no question they’re highly addictive.”

More and more young people also are reporting using prescription drugs to get high. In Snohomish County, 1 in 7 high school seniors who answered a recent state survey reported taking a painkiller to get high during the previous month.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has aggressively prosecuted these cases after a survey revealed that Washington was leading in the number of pharmacy burglaries across the country, Friedman said.

“It’s creating a dangerous environment at pharmacies and for those people who work there,” he said.

Sunday, the man who robbed the Rite Aid in north Everett likely concealed the rifle under his jacket until he approached the pharmacist, Goetz said.

He propped the gun against the counter and demanded drugs. It isn’t clear how many people were in the store at the time of the robbery, Goetz said.

It isn’t the first time that the pharmacy has been hit. A little more than a year ago, two men pointed a handgun at the pharmacist and made off with oxycodone.

Friedman said his office is working closely with local police departments and federal drug agents to quickly investigate robberies, burglaries and forgeries involving prescription drugs.

They’ve also been working with the pharmacy industry to determine what steps pharmacies can take to better protect themselves.

“We’re also trying to get the word out about the dangers of these drugs,” Friedman said. “These people don’t need to be doing this. They aren’t evil people. They need to turn their lives around and get real jobs and get off these drugs.”

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@ heraldnet.com.