Hannaford Pharmacy Launches Elder Fraud Program Across Maine
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine recently revealed an innovative elder fraud awareness program that will use the inherent relationships of pharmacists and their customers to reach older Mainers. The Maine Rx Elder Fraud Program is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, AARP Maine and the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention.
The program, which is designed to educate Mainers on common signs of scams and how to report elder fraud, will begin at Hannaford Supermarkets’ 60 in-store pharmacies across Maine. Informational brochures will be attached to prescription bags for distribution to Hannaford pharmacy customers.
“We recognize older individuals, as well as their caretakers, make up a large portion of our customer base, and that we are uniquely positioned to help reach this audience directly through our pharmacy services as a trusted source for health and safety information,” said Sara Lane, manager of pharmacy clinical services, Hannaford Supermarkets. “We are always looking for opportunities to make a positive impact in the communities we serve, and by making this information available to our pharmacy customers in all corners of our state, our goal is to help reduce the number of elder fraud incidents in Maine.”
Elder fraud is a growing problem across the nation. Last year, more than 101,000 Americans aged 60-plus were defrauded out of $3.4 billion through an ever-growing variety of scams. According to the FBI, that number included 397 Mainers who filed fraud complaints last year for losses totaling more than $7.1 million, and many others go unreported. While some scams can have negligible losses, recent sophisticated scams have robbed victims of their life savings.
“Pharmacists are consistently ranked among the most trusted health care providers, and with approximately nine out of 10 people over age 65 having at least one regular prescription, pharmacists will be a key partner in our efforts to inform this population,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “That trust and regular contact makes pharmacies an ideal conduit to reach older Mainers, as well as their family members or caregivers.”
The informational materials were created by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with assistance from the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention. The materials include common signs of scams as well as information about the National Elder Fraud Hotline.
Hannaford operates 189 stores, most with full-service pharmacies, in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Its parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Ahold Delhaize one of its Retailers of the Century and one of its 10 Most Sustainable Grocers.
