How to Identify Pills
What's that pill? You found an unidentified medicine tablet or capsule in your travel bag, and you're not sure what it is.
Or you found something in the pocket of your kid's jeans, and he says "it's nothing". Is it?
It's possible to identify medicines, and to distinguish commercia drugs from illegal substances. Here's how to find out what that unknown pill really is.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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Your doctor or pharmacist can help identify unknown pills.
**Ask a Professional**
Your surest source of information is your pharmacist or doctor. Bring any unidentified medicines or pills to them for a positive ID. They can make use of professional references, along with their own knowledge and experience, to identify unknown pills, medicines or other substances.
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Use online tools to identify unknown medicines and pills.
**Go Online**
You can use the online Pill Identification Wizard at Drugs.com or the Pill Identifier at RxList.com. Enter the pill's shape, color, and any identifying letters or numbers, and pull up pictures of possible matches.
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FDA can help with pill identification.
**Check With the Feds**
The Division of Drug Information at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can help with identification via email.
Send DDI your drug description at druginfo@cder.fda.gov. They usually respond within one working day, and can be very helpful with substances that don't show up in routine pill identification systems.
If possible, take a digital picture of the pills, and include that in your email to DDI.
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You can find tools to identify both unknown medicines and street drugs.
**Check for Illegal Drugs**
The California Department of Justice has pill identification tools for both medicines and street drugs at the StopDrugs.org website(see link in the Resources section).
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