How identifying a pill can save a life!
Medication error is considered the third leading cause of death, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Every year, nearly 250,000–400,000 patients are admitted to the emergency rooms due to medications errors.
One of the most common errors is taking an unidentified pill, or that is confused with another similar-looking medication. So you how can you protect yourself and your loved ones from such incidents?
One simple solution accessible to almost anyone with internet access is “Pill Identifier.” These are tools used to identify any pill to ensure that the right medications, with the right dose, are safely delivered to the right patients, giving the needed positive results.
Two available resources are; Drugs.com pill identifier and WebMD pill identifier. Both are easily accessible options that give excellent results to know what pill you have on hand before taking it.
So how do you use these tools?
- Enter the imprint code that appears on the pill. Example: L484
- Select the pill colors (optional).
- Select the shape (optional).
- Alternatively, search by the drug name or NDC code
These tools will not only tell you what pill you have but will give you complete details about
- The use for the medication
- Side effects and precautions
- Medication interactions
This information will help answer most questions that come to mind.