How to Identify Perscription Pills
Identifying prescription pills can be a daunting task. It is very important to know the differences among the medications that are prescribed to you, especially if you are taking many different pills. Being able to identify specific pills will prevent you from accidentally ingesting the wrong pill. It is important to remember that pharmacists, doctors and nurses are people too, and can sometimes make mistakes. Identifying your pills to verify that you were given the correct medication can be a life-saving step.
Things You'll Need
- Prescription pill book
- Medical periodicals
- Pharmaceutical websites
- Kiosks
Instructions
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Look at the lettering on the pills. In pharmaceutical books and on the Internet, all prescription drugs will be labeled with the first letter in upper case. Lower case letters are reserved for generic drugs only.
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Check kiosks in drugstores. They provide access to information for identifying prescription medications. Use kiosks to obtain information when the store location is open but the pharmacy within is closed.
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Pay attention to size, color, markings and numbers. These are all significant ways to identify prescription pills. Differences among prescription pills with a similar name can be simple as a color variation or one less digit as a marking.
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Confirm with your pharmacist that the prescription you were given is the correct treatment for your condition. Many prescription pills have similar names and the pharmacist could easily mistake Accupril, a drug used to treat high blood pressure, for Accutane, a form of vitamin A used by dermatologists to improve skin appearance.
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Check medical reference books. These are an easy place to find information on identifying your prescription drugs. Search for drugs alphabetically. Most provide colorful picture of the pills themselves for identification purposes. The Physician's Desk Reference is a popular choice.
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Search informational prescription websites. Many provide detailed descriptions of prescription pills, full-color photos and comparisons to other drugs. RXlist.com and Drugs.com are two popular reference sites.
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