Pills with no imprint: what they could be and what to do
A pill with no letters or numbers can't be identified safely from its color and shape. Here is what it could be, and what to do with it.
A pill with no letters, numbers or logo can’t be identified safely by looking at it. In the US, almost all prescription and over-the-counter tablets and capsules must carry an imprint, so a blank pill is most likely a supplement, a specially made or foreign medicine, or an illegally made pill. Don’t take it until a pharmacist has checked it.
What a pill with no imprint could be
- A vitamin or dietary supplement. Supplements aren’t drugs under US law and don’t need an imprint.
- A compounded medicine. Medicines a pharmacist makes for one patient are exempt.
- A medicine from another country. Rules differ outside the US.
- A worn imprint. The surface of old or soft pills can wear away, especially in a pill organizer. Look closely in good light, from the side.
- A pill used only in hospitals, or one too small or soft to imprint. These are exempt too.
- An illegally made or fake pill. Some fake pills are blank. Others copy real imprints exactly.
Why color and shape aren’t enough
Hundreds of medicines are small, white and round. Without an imprint, a search by color and shape can only give you a list of possibilities, not an answer.
What to do
- Check both sides for a faint imprint, with a light shining from the side and your phone’s zoom.
- Look for where it came from: a supplement bottle, a pill organizer, a visitor’s medicines.
- If you find the bottle, read its label or use an NDC lookup.
- Ask a pharmacist. Bring the pill in a sealed bag, with any packaging.
- If no one can identify it, don’t keep it. Take it to a drug take-back location. See how to get rid of unused medicines.
Common questions
Do all prescription pills have an imprint?
Almost all in the US. Exceptions include medicines compounded by a pharmacist, medicines used in clinical trials, medicines given only in hospitals and pills too small or soft to imprint.
Can a fake pill have no imprint?
Yes. Some illegally made pills are blank, and others copy the imprint of a real medicine exactly, so an imprint alone doesn’t prove a pill is genuine.
Is a pill with no imprint dangerous?
Not necessarily, since many are vitamins. But you can’t know what it contains, so treat it as unknown and don’t take it.
Someone swallowed a pill with no imprint. What should I do?
Call your local emergency number or poison center straight away, even if they feel fine. In the US, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.