Teche Drugs in downtown Lafayette is introducing a new prescription disposal program that allows anyone in the community to drop off their prescription drugs in a safe location.

Storing unused or expired medicine may seem like an easy way to avoid a doctor’s visit, but Dr. Brad Blappert says taking old medicine can do irreversible damage.

"Sometimes is goes into a powder form because it wears down and that can be very very dangerous," Blappert said.

One of the best things to do with old medicine is to dispose of it, but everyone has a different method of doing that.

Lafayette Resident, Carl Groh, said "Usually disposed in the garbage disposal or down the sink."

Becky Lemaire said, "I shred the labels off the bottles and throw the bottles away and I flush the medicine into our sewer."

One of the most common ways that people dispose of medication is by throwing it in the trash can, but one Lafayette pharmacist has a better disposal method.

Teche pharmacist, Ryan Dartez, said "We review the medication, put it inside the sharps box and when it's full we seal it up, send it back to sharps and they'll properly dispose of it."

Groh said, "It's great, now I have somewhere to dispose of it safely."

Dartez says he’s starting the program to make sure medication doesn’t get into the wrong hands.

“Kids being kids find their way to it and then curiosity takes over," he said.

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