# Do you know what this handy, occasionally helpful object is (people in the medical field might)?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 28, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796 "2015-09-28T04:22:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/1 "2015-09-28T04:22:54Z")
[Do you know what this is on sight (or could you guess)?](https://scontent.fphx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/t31.0-8/10514447_10207846340580166_1293685932237360213_o.jpg)
Link goes to a photo of the object.
I know people in the medical field will know what it is, but there is another group of people…
The ones who take pills often or regularly
…who might know what it is too.
Give up? It’s a…
pill cutter
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### Author:  [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/2 "2015-09-28T05:15:35Z")
Got it instantly.
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/3 "2015-09-28T05:36:46Z")
Yes. Why?
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/4 "2015-09-28T05:50:10Z")
Another hint . . .
Commonly used (often inadvisably) by people living on a tight budget.
Yes, I’ve used those before.
Did you also know . . .
The models I’ve seen (which OP’s photo appears to be) has a little removable plastic piece that, when inserted, makes it harder to open (you have to squeeze on the plastic piece to open it, if the piece is inserted), and thus more child-resistant?
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### Author:  [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/5 "2015-09-28T07:37:35Z")
I knew what it was, but Ive never used one.
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### Author:  [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/6 "2015-09-28T09:00:35Z")
Yeah. One of the “compliance aids” I used to stock/sell.
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### Author:  [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/7 "2015-09-28T09:20:16Z")
Recognized it instantly because I had a small, epileptic dog.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/8 "2015-09-28T09:28:00Z")
Own and use one.
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### Author:  [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/9 "2015-09-28T12:18:39Z")
Have one. Use it every day. It’s the Bomb, by the way. Does the job perfectly every time.
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/10 "2015-09-28T12:25:05Z")
Any time I’ve had prescription pills that I might want/need to break in half (or sometimes quarters), they are scored so that you can do it easily with your fingers and they more or less break along the lines. Guess it’s kind of a niche thing for certain pill types or people who are really obsessed with getting it exact.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/11 "2015-09-28T12:35:54Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#):
>
> Recognized it instantly because I had a small, epileptic dog.
I’m surprised you found one big enough to split a dog.
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### Author:  [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/12 "2015-09-28T12:37:44Z")
Have one. Use one. It makes a crumbly mess of the already tiny pill I have to cut in two.
The pharmacies where I have to fill my scripts for my insurance only carry the 5mg dose but my prescription is for 2.5mg daily. Apparently the medication is available in 2.5mg pills and that is a normal dose for many people. Wish they would just stock the 2.5mg pills.
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/13 "2015-09-28T15:04:39Z")
Yes. I have two of them. One of my cats needs medication every day that comes in a teeny pill that I have to split into FOUR pieces. Chop in half, then chop each half in half. I do a month’s supply at a time. The key is to let the guillotine blade **rest lightly** on the pill and then press \*\*firmly \*\*and **quickly**. As they found out during _la Terreur_, hesitation only creates a big mess.
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/14 "2015-09-28T15:11:09Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> Own and use one.
Seconded. For one pill in particular, a BP medication for which the pill sizes are 5 mg, 20 mg and some higher values.
5 mg would be too little. 20 mg would have me blacking out every time I stand up.
So, 10 mg cut in half, since it’s not a big deal if I get 9 or 11 mg instead of 10. I haven’t died yet, so it seems to be working well enough.
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### Author:  [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/15 "2015-09-28T15:11:52Z")
FYI - Be aware some pills are “time release” and you do not want to be cutting those in half!
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### Author:  [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/16 "2015-09-28T15:42:00Z")
Yeah, I’ve got one for the cats.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/17 "2015-09-28T15:42:56Z")
I used to be a pharmacy technician and I had no idea at all. We cut pills using a wedge-shaped knife.
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### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/18 "2015-09-28T15:46:02Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#):
>
> [Do you know what this is on sight (or could you guess)?](https://scontent.fphx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/t31.0-8/10514447_10207846340580166_1293685932237360213_o.jpg)
> Link goes to a photo of the object.
>
> I know people in the medical field will know what it is, but there is another group of people…
>
> The ones who take pills often or regularly
>
> …who might know what it is too.
>
> Give up? It’s a…
>
> pill cutter
I was about to post pill splitter because I thought you actually wanted it identified.😛
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### Author:  [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/19 "2015-09-28T19:12:49Z")
I knew what it was before I clicked on the picture (or looked at the spoilers).
What do I win?
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### Author:  [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-this-handy-occasionally-helpful-object-is-people-in-the-medical-field-might/732796/20 "2015-09-28T19:26:49Z")
Yep, I knew what it was after looking at the picture. We’ve got one around here somewhere.
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