MISSOULA — A pharmacist trying to make his drugstore more secure says the narcotic painkiller OxyContin is so likely to draw robbers that he no longer will stock it.

OxyContin, known on the street as hillbilly heroin, was stolen at Gary Trenary’s SaveMor Pharmacy in 2008 and 2007. He says having the prescription drug on hand jeopardizes the safety of people working at the store. They include his wife and daughter.

‘‘We’re just not going to stock it at all,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s what they (criminals) all want and it’s just not worth it.’’

If customers legitimately need OxyContin, Trenary said, he can place orders and get it within 24 hours.

Trenary spent more than $10,000 to strengthen security at SavMor and says the measures helped thwart a robbery attempt on Dec. 29. Without the security measures, ‘‘the girls wouldn’t have been able to dive below the security counter and push the panic button,’’ he said.

Drug crimes at the store have included a robber, wielding a BB gun resembling a pistol, who demanded and got OxyContin last year. The store’s entire supply of OxyContin was stolen in a 2007 break-in.

Illicit use of OxyContin has been going on for the past 30 years, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The drug can bring feelings of euphoria and relaxation, and can depress the human respiratory system.

Like Trenary, Karen Dove in the town of Seeley Lake north of Missoula has beefed up security at her drugstore, where break-ins have occurred.

‘‘If someone wants to get in, they’ll get into any pharmacy,’’ said Dove, who moved from Las Vegas to Montana in 2006. ‘‘But you can do certain things to buy yourself time.’’

Rob Scheben of the Missoula Police Department said that crime prevention ‘‘isn’t one magic thing. It’s a ton of little things that add up.’’