With the advent of Internet, pill identification guides are available that can be used to identify the pills by using certain logos or numbers, known as pill identifiers which are imprinted on the pills. Books containing pill identification guidelines are also available, but there are two main disadvantages with the books. Firstly, the information will become more and more outdated as the book becomes older and secondly the process of identifying a pill using a book can be rather cumbersome and time-consuming. Important Pointers » If you are looking for pill identification resources on the Internet, you will find two types of resources - professional databases and free resources. Doctors and pharmacists across the country use the professional database resources after paying the charges as the information that they contain is accurate, complete, updated and reliable. The only reason that some people are forced to turn to the free resources, which may contain incomplete information is because access to professional database is not provided to non professionals and accessing the professional database entails a heavy fee. » One of the main advantages of using a pill identification guide (available with a reputed website like drugs.com) is that they not only identify the pill, they also provide in-depth information and description about the pill, and indicate if the particular drug has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration of the United States as well. Some sites even go to the extent of identifying the condition that the drug helps treat and provide a list of names that other manufacturer use to sell the drug. » Another advantage is that now parents can immediately look up the description and usage of any suspicious drugs that their children are using. This information enables them to alert their children or even an outside authority like the doctor or the police, if need be. Drug abuse is highly prevalent among our teenagers and we have to take all the precaution we can, to ensure that they are on the right track. Thanks to such pill identification guides which are available so easily on the Internet, that parents no longer need to live ignorant lives. Pill Identification Number Thousands of pills are manufactured everyday. Pill manufacturing companies have to take care that each pill is produced as per the guidelines provided by the U.S Federal drug administration standards. An important step as per these guidelines is providing a distinct pin identification number or a unique logo. These imprints can be used to identify the batch number and even the manufacturing date of the pill. This helps resolve the confusion arising between two pills of the same size, shape and color. Pill Imprint An easy way to identify pills these days is by using the pill imprint method. This method of identifying a pill is much more accurate than simply using the shape and the color of the pill to identify it. You have to identify pill markings that are imprinted on the pill and match it to a similar imprint design in the database, available on the websites that contain pill information guide. The pill information guides are usually categorized that allow simple and quick identifications through a series of specific steps or clicks of the mouse. The drug imprints are categorized into logos, alphabets and numeric parts. The quickest path is to identify the logo first and then check and imprint the feature in the successive screens. This method of pill identification is reliable and accurate. Prominent websites allow you to identify the tablets based on the following criteria: ✔ Using the logo imprinted on the tablet. ✔ Using the numbers and characters imprinted on the tablet. ✔ Using the house brand name. ✔ Using the National Drug Code (NDC). Despite these pointers, if you are still unable to identify the pill, please throw the pill or take it to your healthcare provider for guidance. Never assume the pill to be something. It is very unfortunate, but the fact is that thousands of injuries and deaths occur every year because of medication errors, which could have been prevented very easily simply by identifying the medicine correctly. We have to always be very careful while taking or providing medicines. A pill identification guide is a simple solution, but if you still have doubts, then approach the doctor or discard the medicine. An ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure! Take care! Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.