28 . January , 2012 - Saturday
Check todays hot topics or new products

Find a Drug: Advanced

Please Sign in or Register

Pill Identifier: Why and How to Identify Your Medication

Big Image

   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 Drug Index Online 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.

REFERENCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Recent Drug Updates at DrugIndexOnline:



Buprenorphine Buprenorphine
Generic Name: Buprenorphine Injection (byoo-pre-NOR-feen) Brand Name: BuprenexBuprenorphine is used for:Treating moderate to severe pain. Buprenorphine is a narcotic analgesic. It works by working in the brain and nervous system to decrease pain. Do NOT use Buprenorphine if: you are allergic more...

Cefazolin Cefazolin
Generic Name: Cefazolin Dosage Form: Injection To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of Cefazolin Injection, USP and other antibacterial drugs, Cefazolin Injection, USP should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or stro more...

Ed Cyte F Ed Cyte F
Generic Name: ferrous fumarate and folic acid (FER us FUE ma rate and FOE lik AS id) Brand Names: Ed Cyte F, Ferrocite F, Hematinic with Folic Acid, Hemocyte-F, Ircon-FA What is Ed Cyte F (ferrous fumarate and folic acid)? Ferrous fumarate is a type of iron. You normally get iron from t more...

enalapril enalapril
Generic Name: enalapril (e NAL a pril) Brand Names: Vasotec What is enalapril? Enalapril is in a group of drugs called ACE inhibitors. ACE stands for angiotensin converting enzyme. Enalapril is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), congestive heart failure, kidney problems c more...

Humatin Humatin
Generic Name: Paromomycin (par-oh-moe-MYE-sin) Brand Name: HumatinHumatin is used for:Treating amoeba infection in the intestines. It is also used in combination with other medicines to manage a serious complication of liver disease (hepatic coma). It may be used for other conditions as determi more...

Kenaject-40 Kenaject-40
Some commonly used brand names are: In the U.S.— Acetocot 9 A-hydroCort 5 Amcort 9 A-MethaPred 6 Aristocort 9 Aristocort Forte 9 Aristopak 9 Aristospan 9 Articulose-50 7 Articulose-L.A. 9 Celestone 1 Celestone Phosphate 1 Celestone Soluspan 1 Cinalone 40 9 Cinonide 40 9 Clinacort 9 Clinal more...

M-Phen M-Phen
Generic Name: codeine, phenylephrine, and promethazine (KOE deen, phen ill EFF rin, and pro METH ah zeen) Brand Names: M-Phen, Phenergan VC with Codeine What is M-Phen (codeine, phenylephrine, and promethazine)? Codeine is a narcotic. It is a pain reliever and a cough suppressant. Pheny more...

potassium aminobenzoate potassium aminobenzoate
Generic Name: potassium aminobenzoate (po TAS ee um a MEE noe BEN zoe ate) Brand Names: Potaba What is potassium aminobenzoate? Potassium aminobenzoate is a form of Vitamin B, which supports many important body functions. Potassium aminobenzoate works by causing a softening of skin or t more...


© Copyright 2007 - 2012 DrugIndexOnline - 2nd Edition.