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Medication powder pressed into a compact shape is a tablet.tablet tablets medicine image by Pali A from Fotolia.com
Identify the type of pill. A tablet is pressed powder. A capsule is a gelatin pill that contains smaller pills or powdered medication. As an example, the widely prescribed drug Ambien is a tablet. Another popular sleeping pill, Sonata, comes in capsule form. - 2). Identify the size and thickness of the pill. Vitamins and pain pills tend to be thick. Sleeping pills are usually smaller tablets.
- 3). Identify the shape of the pill. Xanax ,a benzodiazepam that is prescribed as an anti-anxiety and sleeping aid, is shaped as a bar. Many other sleeping aids such as Lunesta and Ambien are spherical.
- 4). Identify the color of the pill. Pills come in a variety of colors. Some manufacturers use color to differentiate between dosages. Some studies done in India have shown that pill color might have a psychological impact on patients.
- 5). Identify the imprint on the pill. The imprint is the most definitive way to identify a sleeping pill. The imprint might be a symbol, number or a word. The imprint on the pill is unique to the pill and will be listed with the pill's information in a pharmacology reference book.
- 6). Use a pharmacological reference guide to identify the pill using the information you have obtained.
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