Why Does Medication Have Markings on It?
Whenever you get a prescription filled from a pharmacy or buy some over-the-counter medication, you may notice that the pills have unique letters or symbols on them. But why does medication have these markings on it? These markings are a pill’s imprint code, and these codes help doctors and patients quickly and easily identify medicines at a glance.
Different Types of Codes
There are many different ways that companies can create a pharmaceutical imprint code, but the primary purpose is to be clear and recognizable. Some of the most common examples of imprint codes include letters, numbers, symbols, or in some cases, the company’s name. For example, when you grab a single Advil capsule, you should see the word Advil printed on the pill. The Food and Drug Administration typically recommends including letters and numbers, but this is not a strict requirement, so long as the imprint code is recognizable.
Creating Imprint Codes
We know why medication has these markings on it, but have you ever wondered how each tiny pill gets such a clearly recognizable marking on it? Certain drugs have complex and lengthy imprint codes on every individual capsule. Thanks to technological advances, careful and precise imprinting is done through automation. Many pharmaceutical manufacturers utilize laser marking machines that use finely honed lasers to create identifiable indentations.
What if a Pill Has No Imprint Code?
The primary purpose of an imprint code is to help identify what a pill does. Many capsules and medications look very similar, and mixing them up could have devasting, toxic, or even fatal effects. Since the FDA requires medication to have an imprint code, finding a pill without a code on it could be an unregistered, untested drug, and we advise not taking it. If you find a single pill in your prescription that has no code while the others do, that’s likely an oversight during the laser marking process and is usually safe. But in that situation, it’s up to you to decide whether to take it.
