Sometimes you may need to know how to identify a pill. For example, you might find one on the floor and need to figure out what it is. Or maybe you just picked up your new prescription from the pharmacy and want to confirm it's the right drug.
When identifying a pill, you should look for key features, such as the imprint code, color, or shape. These and other attributes can help you ensure that you don't mistakenly take the wrong medication or take it the wrong way.
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Pill Attributes
Unless the drug is a good counterfeit, the identification process is very straightforward. By law, every tablet or capsule approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must look unique from all others. This is done specifically to make identifying each pill easier.
A pill's attributes are related to:
- Imprint code: A unique code is printed on each medication. This can include a combination of numbers and letters, the name of the drug, or, in some cases, the logo.
- Shape: Round or oblong pills and capsules are the most common. However, some medications are unusually shaped in the form of squares, rectangles, diamonds, triangles, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, and octagons.
- Color: Each type of pill has a standard color or pattern of colors. Some are familiar like brown Advil (ibuprofen) tablets or blue Viagra (sildenafil) pills.
- Form: This refers to whether the medication is a tablet, capsule, or other type of oral medication.
- Scoring: Pills may have scores, which are light lines cut into them. They can appear with the imprint code or on the reverse side.
Some of the letters and numbers can be hard to distinguish, especially on very small pills. If needed, use a magnifying glass.
Tools to Help Identify Pills
Once you have identified these elements of the drug in question, you can use a number of online tools to find out which medication you're holding.
Options include:
- Poison Control Pill Identifier: This national organization offers an interactive search tool that lets you find a medication-based imprint code, shape and color, or drug name.
- FDA's Drug Identification: The Food and Drug Administration will identify a pill if you email them a picture of it.
- Medscape Pill Identifier: This site is aimed at healthcare professionals, but offers a free online search tool that you can use to find medication based on attributes.
In some instances, the tools and services above may not be able to recognize the pill you have. Most likely, this is because it's not an FDA-approved drug. This means that you may be looking at an illegal drug, a counterfeit, or even an alternative remedy.
You may want to take it to your pharmacist to ask for help. Never take any medication you cannot positively identify.
What to Do With Unused Pills
If you can't identify a pill and, thus, cannot take it, do not just let the medication sit on your shelf. Whether it's an over-the-counter pill or prescription treatment, leaving unused medication around the house is unsafe and unnecessary.
Disposal
You will need to dispose of the unused drugs. However, do not just toss them in the trash. It could be found and consumed by a person or an animal, which could make them ill.
Do not flush unused medication down the toilet because it then pollutes drinking water or natural bodies of water, which can affect fish, plants, and animals.
Follow proper disposal methods to safely get rid of unknown pills. If your community offers a drug take-back program, bring medication there on the designated day. You may also have a local U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) collection site near you. Use the DEA online location service to find a controlled substance disposal location.
If you're unable to take medication to one of these collection sites, check with your pharmacy. They may be able to take back any unused medication to dispose of it.
Summary
It's not uncommon to need to identify a pill, whether you want to confirm a prescription or recognize a medication. A number of online tools and services are available to help you identify a drug based on the imprint code, color, and shape.
Never take any medication you cannot identify. And follow recommended guidelines for disposing of unused medication in a way that won't affect other people or the environment.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21.
U.S. Geological Survey. Pharmaceuticals in water.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Where and how to dispose of unused medicines.
By Trisha Torrey
Trisha Torrey is a patient empowerment and advocacy consultant. She has written several books about patient advocacy and how to best navigate the healthcare system.
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