Barcode scan or photo of the box: which identifies a medicine best?
You have a medicine in your hand and you want it in your cabinet. Should you scan the barcode or just take a photo of the box? Both work, and they are good at different things.
Barcode or photo: how to choose
- 1Use the barcode when the box has one and it is clear: it points to one exact product, with its name, strength and pack.
- 2Use a photo when there is no barcode, or it is worn or hidden: the printed words on the label do the identifying.
- 3Hold the box flat, in good light, with the whole code or label in the frame.
- 4Check the result before you save it: names and strengths are easy to confuse, especially between countries.
In short
Either way you get a pill identifier and medication identifier in one: the scan fills in your medication list, and the same entry powers your pill reminder, medication log and expiry tracker.
How Pharmacy Cabinet helps
- Scan the barcode for a quick, exact match, or photograph the box when there is no barcode.
- Both fill in the details for your medicine tracker: name, strength, expiry date and where you keep it.
- Medication information from many countries, with the app in your own language.
- One medicine tracker and pill organiser that works the same, whichever way you add a medicine.
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Photograph or scan a box and Pharmacy Cabinet fills in the details for you.
Not medical advice. Always check a medicine's name, strength and expiry on the box itself, and ask your pharmacist if you are unsure.
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More guides
- Home medicine cabinet organizer: know what you have in minutes
- Medicine expiry tracker: never find an expired medicine again
- Family medicine cabinet: one shared medicine tracker for everyone
- Medication reminder app: pill reminders that follow your own schedule
- A medicine from another country? Scan it anyway
- Medicine tracker and reminder app in your own language