How to Identify What That Unknown Pill Really Is
An unknown pill can be scary and possibly dangerous. Is it a vitamin or a prescription medicine? An over the counter (OTC) drug, like aspirin or Tylenol? A nutritional supplement? Or maybe a street drug that your son or daughter or spouse had in their possession? There are some important online and offline resources to help you identify unknown pills and medicines, and deal with possible emergencies.
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Instructions
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If someone has swallowed an unknown pill -- or even if you think they might have -- call a Poison Control Center right away.
The national toll-free number is 1-800-222-1222
This is 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year hotline. It's a national number, but will connect you to your local Poison Control Center.
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If you have questions about an unknown pill, take the pill to your pharmacist at your local drugstore, or to your doctor, who can help you identify it. Their professional judgement is the surest way to get reliable information.
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There are a number of pill identification tools available online that you can use to get more information. These typically ask you for information on the shape, color and imprints (letters and numbers) on the pill, and will help you identify it. There are also resources for identifying street drugs.
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The Resources section includes links to the best pill-identification sites available.
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