A North Kamloops pharmacy owner says he refuses to let a thief spoil his dreams after a disturbing hold-up Monday afternoon.

Police are seeking the man who attempted to rob Oxycontin from the North Shore Pharmacy Monday afternoon while wearing a nylon stocking over his face and wielding a foot-long knife.

At 4:30 p.m., pharmacist and business owner Pradeep Domodaran was outside his store when the man entered the store and jumped the counter without being noticed.

Damodaran's wife, who had brought him lunch, was inside.

"My wife was screaming out," said Damodaran. "With that sound I came near the counter. I could see that a person with a mask and knife and blue sunglasses was demanding Oxycontin.

"It was so scary. I stood like that for some time and I couldn't do anything."

Damodaran hit the "panic button" security device, and his wife was able to escape from behind the counter and leave the store with her husband and another staff member.

The man rummaged through the pharmacy's inventory in an unsuccessful search for narcotics.

"That was another failure on his part. He couldn't get any narcotic medication because he couldn't find it," said Damodaran.

The man then went into the pharmacist's office where he spotted a camera, which spooked him, suspects Damodaran.

The man then fled the store through the front entrance and went through Speedy Auto Glass, where he left his knife and backpack.

"The story would've been different if I was trapped or my wife was trapped inside," said Domodaran. "Then he could've managed to get things according to his wish."

Damodaran was still shaken on Tuesday and a staff member did not come into work as scheduled.

"If I had been working somewhere else, I would've been gone stress leave," Damodaran said.

But, he added, he wouldn't let the man drive him away from his own business.

"I'm the owner/manager/pharmacist — everything — so I can't just simply close the pharmacy and just sit inside my home," he said. "This is my dream and this is my business and I have to look after my business."

The suspect is described as Caucasian, 30 years old, wearing a white T-shirt, green jeans or khakis, carrying a black shoulder bag and speaking with a British accent.

A police tracking dog was called in but the trail ended at a dumpster where investigators located the robbery clothing and weapon.

"It is believed that the suspect likely departed the area in a vehicle prior to police arrival," states an RCMP news release.

Forensic identification specialists were also called in to investigate.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.