FAQ: Pill Identification

Question: How can I identify a pill?

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Answer:

You should first ask your pharmacist or doctor to identify the pill.

These Internet resources may also help identify medications sold in the United States. The NLM® does not recommend or endorse any products, services or information found outside of NLM resources. You need to evaluate the value, authoritativeness and timeliness of the information you find.

• NLM DailyMed® Product Identification System
  Identify tablets and capsules by color, imprint, shape, size and scoring
  http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/prdsearch.cfm
  
  
• The FDA Division of Drug Information identification service at
  http://www.fda.gov/cder/Offices/DDI/drugID.htm
  
  
• The Drug Digest Pill Images at
  http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/PillImages/PillImagesSearch/1,20327,,00.html
  
  
• The Identification Web site from the California Department of Justice includes photos of street drugs at http://www.stopdrugs.org/identification.html
  
  
• Pill Identification Wizard at http://www.drugs.com/pill_identification.html
  

You may be able to find these books at your local public, university or hospital library:

• Ident-a-drug reference: for drug, tablet and capsule identification
  Identifies drugs by the numbers and letters on the drugs; does not include photos.
  
  
• Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR)
  Includes photos

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Related Questions

• Where can I find information about US drugs?
• Where can I find information about international (non-US) drugs?

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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/drug_id.html

Last reviewed: 06 May 2009
Last updated: 06 May 2009
First published: 01 January 2000
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