Pill Identifier: Why and How to Identify Your Medication

Medical Author: Omudhome Ogbru, PharmD
Medical and Pharmacy Editor:Jay W. Marks, MD

Pharmacists and other health care professionals are diligent about ensuring that patients receive the correct medication. However, they are human, and once in a while they make mistakes. The doctor may prescribe the wrong dose or the wrong medication. Pharmacy staff may misinterpret the prescription or the wrong medication may be dispensed. There are several checks and balances to minimize medication errors, but sometimes the checks and balances fail. Medication errors can cause serious consequences.

What should you, the prudent consumer do to protect yourself? You should make sure that you have the correct medication. Before the Internet age, pill identification was accomplished by calling a pharmacy or using pill identification books at the local library or bookstore. The Internet has made it possible for anyone to use pill identifiers (pill finder), such as the Rxlist Pill Identifier, to ensure that they have the correct medication. You can identify drugs by imprint, color, shape, and brand or generic name. If you do not find a match, you should call your pharmacist. Some generic drugs are manufactured by several manufacturers, and pill identification databases may not have images of all the generic versions.

For pill identifiers to be valuable, you have to know the medication and strength you should have received. Therefore, start by understanding your condition and the medication and dose your doctor has prescribed for you. Using pill identifiers and knowing what medications your doctor has prescribed will prevent you from taking the wrong medication. Pharmacists are no longer the last line of defense against medication errors; consumers are.

Find a picture of your pill using the RxList Pill Identifier Tool. We've also provided Pill Identifier examples of commonly abused drugs and popular medications.

Below is a list of commonly searched medications, click on a link to read patient information on this drug, see pictures of the different pills prescribed, understand the potential side effects, how to take the medication, and what to do if you miss a dose.

• Ultram (tramadol)
• Xanax (alprazolam)
• Percocet (acetaminophen and oxycodone)
• Vicodin (acetaminophen and hydrocodone)
• Amoxil (amoxicillin)
• Prinivil (lisinopril)
• Accutane (isotretinoin)
• Deltasone (prednisone)
• Percocet (oxycodone)
• Neurontin (gabapentin)
• Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine)
• Ambien (zolpidem)
• Glucophage (metformin)
• Valium (diazepam)
• Ativan (lorazepam)

REFERENCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration