If you have unknown capsules in your cabinet,

or if you have found capsules in your child's room, drug identification is key in order to let you know exactly what it is you have. As misidentifying drugs can cause serious health issues, making sure you know what narcotics it is you possess is necessary. In the situation of the capsules in your child's room, it can tell you whether or not your children have begun to explore banned narcotics.

Not all narcotics are banned. With so many forms of Tylenol, aspirins, and similar painkillers, drug identification is required to prevent disciplining a youth that may not have done anything wrong. Taking the few minutes to learn out what type of capsules you have stumbled upon is necessary!

There are several things that you should look for when identifying a over the counter drug. Drug identification is a careful science, requiring a good eye for size, shapes, colors and textures. All of these things need to be researched in order to make a positive identification.

Size and shape are necessary details in drug identification. Narcotics that are professionally manufactured come in standard sizes and shapes depending on what the drug is. These are the first thing that you notice when you find a stray capsule. If you are not good at guessing the size of a capsule, find a ruler that measures millimeters, centimeters and inches and measure the width, height and length of the capsule. These numbers can be used to identify them.

Next, the color of the capsules can be used to help figure out what they are. As an example, Viagra comes in a very noticeable blue color, which sets it apart from the brown color of standard Advil. Once you have identified the size and shape of your capsule, the color will further hone what the capsule actually is.

Texture is something that can be learned about at a look, or by carefully feeling the capsule with your fingertip. While texture is not as necessary as the color, size and shape of the capsules, they may give the final clue to have a correct drug identification.

If you are fortunate, there will be an imprint on the capsule. This is done by major manufacturers to promote proper identification of capsules in case they are mixed with other narcotics with similar size, shapes and colors.

Many banned narcotics do not follow set size, shapes and colors. If you find a suspicious narcotics that you cannot figure out, you may need to take it to a pharmacist or lab for identification. If you suspect that the capsule is an banned narcotics, you should contact a drug lab immediately.