The National Library of Medicine has released a beta version of a new website called the Pillbox. This website can serve as a means of identifying drugs and a reference system for solid dosage medications. Pillbox Beta has two versions: the Adobe Flex version is designed for rapid identification of an unknown medication; the Pillbox screen-reader version has advanced search functionality, including drug name.
Pillbox combines pharmaceutical data from the FDA and NLM with high resolution images. It allows users to identify solid dosage medications based on characteristics such as imprint, shape, color, size and scoring. Once a medication has been identified, further information is provided, including brand/generic name, ingredients, and DEA schedule. Links to NLM drug information resources are also offered.
The Pillbox images are not part of the Structured Product Label (FDA-approved drug label) and have not been verified by each manufacturer. For this reason, Pillbox is not currently intended for clinical use. This fall, NLM and the FDA will initiate a pilot program working with manufacturers to have images submitted for inclusion with the FDA-approved drug label. This will increase the number of images in Pillbox and help to create a resource appropriate for clinical use.
