Hamilton police are warning that a large quantity of narcotics stolen overnight Monday from a Mountain pharmacy could be fatal to people who have not been prescribed the drugs.

The break-in happened sometime between midnight and 4:00 a.m., at the IDA Pharmacy on Rymal Road near Garth Street.

"Once inside the pharmacy the suspects stole a large quantity of narcotics," said police in a statement.

Abuse of highly addictive prescription painkillers is on the rise in Hamilton, and police have identified a trend in robberies linked to prescription drugs. Opioids are now a common black market drug and police have seen increases in pharmacy robberies.

The Hamilton Police Service BEAR Unit is handling the investigation and is asking anyone with information about the crime to contact D/C Allchin at 905-546- 8939 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).