How to Identify a Prescription Drug Pill
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all prescription pills be imprinted with a unique code to identify individual pills. The imprint includes a code for the manufacturer of the medication and a number. The color (including any specks) and shape are also used in pill identification. Manufacturers occasionally change color and shape of pills, so the most important factor is the imprint. Individual pill imprints allow medical professionals to quickly identify medication in the event of an overdose or allergic reaction. It's also useful to individuals who come across unidentified pills in their home.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
-
Identifying Prescription Pills
-
1
Email the FDA drug identification division at druginfo@cder.fda.gov. Include a detailed description of the pill (shape, size, color--including a shade, like pale pink). Also include any imprints on both sides of the pills (some only have imprints on one side) including dashes or dots. This is the most accurate way to identify pills, but not the quickest. If it is an emergency, the FDA advises consumers to call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
-
2
Utilize web databases such as http://pillbox.nlm.nih.gov/index.html, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's database, or www.drugs.com. Both are easily navigable and provide detailed information on prescription pill identification. Beware of simply typing "pill identification" into a search engine, many of the sites that first come up are re-directs to an online pharmacy.
-
3
Take pills to a pharmacist, who has access to professional databases (not available to the general public) and can give you complete assurance that you identified the medication correctly. A pharmacist can also give information on side effects and warnings of the drug.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Prescription drugs can be very dangerous if not taken exactly as prescribed, by the person to whom the medication was prescribed. Never guess when it comes to prescription medicine. Very different medications can look very similar, but can cause serious injury or even death if taken improperly.
