Allopurinol is a medication used primarily to manage gout, a painful form of arthritis, and to reduce high levels of uric acid in the blood. High uric acid, or hyperuricemia, can also occur as a side effect of certain cancer treatments. Because this medication is taken regularly, knowing how the pill should look is important for safety and proper identification. The following details the common physical characteristics of Allopurinol tablets to help confirm your prescription.
Standard Physical Characteristics
Allopurinol is almost always manufactured as an oral tablet, not a capsule, and its typical appearance is a round, flat-faced, or standard convex shape. The most common color for the tablets is white or off-white, particularly for the lower dosage strengths. However, some manufacturers use coloring agents that result in a peach, orange, or yellow pill, especially for the higher strength tablets.
The surface of the tablet usually features an imprint code, which is a combination of letters and numbers stamped onto the pill. Many Allopurinol tablets are also scored, meaning they have a line running across one side to allow the tablet to be safely broken into halves. This score line is not present on every version of the pill, as some manufacturers produce unscored tablets.
Common Dosage Strengths and Imprints
Allopurinol is most frequently prescribed in two main dosage strengths: 100 milligrams (mg) and 300 mg. The dosage strength often affects the physical dimensions of the pill; for instance, a 300 mg tablet is generally larger or thicker than a 100 mg tablet from the same manufacturer. This difference in size accommodates the greater amount of active ingredient and necessary inactive ingredients in the higher strength.
The imprint code is the most reliable way to confirm the dosage and manufacturer of your pill. For example, one common 100 mg tablet might be white and imprinted with “I 135,” while a 300 mg tablet from the same company might be white or peach and imprinted with “350 U.” The letters and numbers are designed to specifically correspond to the drug name, strength, and manufacturer, ensuring accurate identification.
These markings are not standardized across the entire pharmaceutical industry, meaning the specific code changes between drug companies. The 100 mg tablets tend to be predominantly white, while the 300 mg tablets are more likely to exhibit variations in color, such as being orange or peach. The unique imprint code is the definitive identifier for the medication and its strength.
Why Pill Appearance Varies by Manufacturer
The same dose of Allopurinol can appear dramatically different depending on which company manufactured it, a common occurrence with generic medications. When the patent on a brand-name drug expires, multiple generic drug companies are allowed to produce their own versions, each of which must contain the exact same active ingredient. However, generic manufacturers are not required to replicate the original pill’s appearance.
This difference in appearance is primarily due to the inactive ingredients used in the manufacturing process. These excipients, such as fillers, binders, and coloring agents, can vary widely from one generic company to the next. For example, a difference in the coloring agent is why one 300 mg Allopurinol tablet may be white while another is peach or orange.
The variation in inactive components results in differences in color, shape, and size, as these ingredients provide bulk and stability to the tablet. Furthermore, each manufacturer is legally required to use a unique imprint code, preventing their product from being confused with another company’s version. If a refill looks different from a previous batch, it often means the pharmacy sourced the generic medication from a different supplier.