pill identification

[medical6969]

Checking community trays is sometimes a knightmare.
Does anyone know of a free database to allow easy tablet identification of UK tablets?

thanks.

[Defblade]

Boxes/bottles the tablets have come from should stay with the tray until after the check so you can refer to them and their PILs.

I know this doesn't answer your question and may not be happening where you're working, but I'd suggest you start it happening - it's a lot easier in the long run...

[DavidS]

Boxes/bottles the tablets have come from should stay with the tray until after the check so you can refer to them and their PILs.

I also insist on seeing the script(of course), the MAR, and also the discarded foil wrappings.

Recently I've had to start asking to check the bag labels as well, after one was delivered to the wrong patient on my shift.

Start insisting on this immediately, even if it means trays have to be redone. As Defblade says, it's quicker and safer in the long run.

[bleepholder]

databases do exist to identify tablets but i think its something you have to register for and pay.....

you could always pop out an extra tablet from the packs, so you know what each one looks like..although it is a waste of a tablet every time you dispense a tray....

[posey]

PILs in the boxes usually describe what the tablet looks like. Also, some boxes have a tiny picture on the front/back showing you what the tablet looks like + markings.

[johannes]

What about taking some digital pictures of the tablets in question?

[Old Dan Tucker]

Pill Identifier - Drugs.com

but you MUST have boxes and a drug description which helps to identify a particular drug in a tray.

[medical6969]

I cant find any free database for UK tablets.
Thanks for the website, Drugs.com. Unfortunately its not UK based.

I've started making my own list.
I will start with the most common drugs.
I can use the 'electronic Medicines Compendium' website which contains all the PIL's.
Its just a case of going from A to Z.

I am just going to record the following:
drug name__company__strength__shape__colour__markings side 1__markings side 2

is this enough?

(no pictures as this would be too time consuming)

I suppose you could just open up another box on the shelf and have a look at the PIL yourself, but if you had to do this for more than a few occasions it would take up valuable time.
Having a list in front of you should be time saving. Or am I just wasting my time???

[johannes]

Hm, I remeber, there was a CD called TicTac or so, a pretty nice collection of tablet pictures of the UK's market.
May cost some thing, but yeah, I'm getting older.

Re-identifying pills and stuff like that is painful even if you have some broken original packs. You never know what's in that box, really.

[Pharmanaut]

Hm, I remeber, there was a CD called TicTac or so, a pretty nice collection of tablet pictures of the UK's market.
May cost some thing, but yeah, I'm getting older.

Re-identifying pills and stuff like that is painful even if you have some broken original packs. You never know what's in that box, really.

Time was in the days of bulk containers when we could identify tablets from memory, get the bulk container and compare.
Sterwin used to print a picture of back and front of the tablet on the carton.
What would be wrong with the manufacturers having to do this now?
It would help everyone involved in patient care...