On occasion, most of us will end up with a prescription for a pain killer. Whether you had an injury, surgery, or illness, it is not uncommon to head home from the doctor’s office with Vicodin, Percocet, or another pain killer. But when left alone in an open house, you may find your drugs have gone missing.

Criminals and drug addicts are always on the lookout to source pain killers, and according to the San Diego Sheriff, medication theft from open houses is on the rise. In one instance, a Realtor in San Diego walked past an open bathroom door to see a would-be thief rummaging through a medicine cabinet on the hunt for prescription pain killers to steal.

Most homeowners are not aware that drugs are a target at open houses, so it is important for owners and their agents to be aware and alert. Savvy homeowners will stash their medications in a locked car or other safe place while their home is being shown.

Sheriff’s deputies in San Diego have asked prison inmates about where they have found illegal narcotics in the past, and a growing number and pointing to open houses as a place to find free pills.

Learn more about this story and protecting yourself at UT San Diego.