The Pillbox – "Rapid Identification, Reliable Information"

The Pillbox, a pill identification search engine, created by the US National Institutes of Health has the ability to help you identify a pill based on the pill's physical characteristics. This allows you to visually identify the pill which is not only effective but very quick.

Some characteristics used to identify a pill include shape, color, and size. You could describe almost anything that you see on the pill. This includes numbers, letters, or other characters. Typically this search engine is designed for emergency situations.

For example, it could be highly informative for an organization like the Poison Control Centre. As well, the search engine is available for use to everyone. If more information about the drug is needed or the pill was misplaced you could figure out what the drug is and what it does. Pillbox gives information about the ingredients in the pill, the brand name, the generic name, and information about what the pill does.

Identifying the pill is very easy to do. The pillbox displays high-resolution pictures of the different pills. The pills are also displayed larger than their actual size so that you can observe any smaller details. This is very important because your search is based solely on what you see.

Although this site is very informative and identifies unknown pills, it is still in development and not currently intended for clinical use. Pillbox still needs to be verified by the different manufacturers of the pills.