How to Identify Prescription Medicines

Identifying prescription medicines that are no longer in their labeled containers can seem like a daunting process, but it is fairly simple. There are three possible ways of identifying pills: Ask a pharmacist; use an online resource such as drugs.com or WedMD; or obtain a copy of the Physician's Desk Reference at a local library.

Things You'll Need

• Pill you want to identify
• Pharmacy
• Computer with Internet access and a web browser
• Copy of the Physician's Desk Reference, available at your local library

Instructions

Ask a Pharmacist

1. Take the medicine you would like to identify to a local pharmacy.

2. Ask to speak to the pharmacist on duty.

3. Show the pharmacist the medicine you would like to identify. Be sure to describe what conditions you have to help narrow down the drug's identity.

Use drugs.com Pill Identifier

1. Go to http://www.drugs.com/pill_identification.html

2. Accept the terms of service by clicking I Agree.

3. Enter the letters or numbers on the pill. Select the pill's shape and color. Click Search.

4. Compare your drug with the photos of the choices that appear. Click on the name of the drug to see more details.

To use WebMD's pill identification tool

1. Go to http://www.webmd.com/pill-identification/default.htm

2. Enter the letters or numbers on the pill or tablet. Select the pill's shape and color. Click Go.

3. Click on the name of the drug to see more details and photos.

To use the Physician's Desk Reference

1. Take the medicine you would like to identify with you to your local library.

2. Ask a librarian to use a copy of the Physician's Desk Reference.

3. View the color pictures in the center of the book to find a photo of your drug.

4. Once you identify the drug, you can read more about it in the reference section of the book.

References

• National Library of Medicine Pill Identification Resources
• WedMD pill identification tool
• Drugs.com pill identifier

Resources

• Drugs.com
• WedMD