What Is an Imprint Code on Pills?
The United States government requires an imprint code on pills to assist individuals and professionals to determine what a pill is in the event it is separated from its original packaging.
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Legal Requirement
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The imprinted letters, numbers and symbols on a prescription drug (Rx) pill, tablet, or capsule is a legal requirement of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) [21 U.S.C. 355].
Unique Code Per Pill
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The act requires the imprint for each pill (product) to be unique. Each manufacturer must have a different imprint for each of its products. A product that has more than one dosage, must have a unique imprint for each dosage available. The equivalent product made by several manufacturers must differ from one another.
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Code Creation
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The shape and color of the pill, as well as the imprint, are together used to form the imprint code. This means you won't necessarily be able to determine what the pill is based on the code alone, you must also know its shape and color.
Index of Pills
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Several websites include photos of pills with product information, including pharmer.org, drugs.com and rxlist.com.
Not NDC
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The imprint code should not be confused with the National Drug Code (NDC), which is an 11-digit code uniquely identifying human drugs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a public NDC Directory of prescription drugs and insulin products developed by registered companies for commercial distribution. While comprehensive, this directory does not include images.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit pill image by alimat from Fotolia.com
