A method for detecting a counterfeit pharmaceutical tablet or capsule, the method comprising: providing a hand-held device (20; 210) comprising: - a plurality of light sources (28; 74a-c, 76a-c, 78a-c, 80a-c, 82a-b, 84a-c, 86a-b, 88a-b, 90) configured to be selectively energized to turn the light sources (28; 74a-c, 76a-c, 78a-c, 80a-c, 82a-b, 84a-c, 86a-b, 88a-b, 90) on and off according to a sequence to emit light at a plurality of different illumination wavelengths onto an object; - at least one image acquisition device (34; 70a, 70b) for receiving light returning from the illuminated object and acquiring an image of the illuminated object; and - at least one display (36, 52); selecting said plurality of different illumination wavelengths to reveal a difference in color between an image of an authentic tablet or capsule and a counterfeit tablet or capsule that has a different formulation or composition than the authentic tablet or capsule; exposing by the plurality of light sources a suspected counterfeit pharmaceutical tablet or capsule to illumination light of said selected plurality of different illumination wavelengths; acquiring by the image acquisition device (34; 70a, 70b) an image of said suspected counterfeit tablet or capsule illuminated by the illumination light of said plurality of different illumination wavelengths; viewing on the at least one display (36; 52) the image of said suspect counterfeit tablet or capsule and an image of a known authentic tablet or capsule under illumination by the same plurality of different illumination wavelengths; and comparing the color of the image of said suspected counterfeit tablet or capsule to a color of the image of the known authentic tablet or capsule, wherein a difference in color between the image of the suspect counterfeit tablet or capsule and the image of the known authentic tablet or capsule indicates a difference in formulation or composition that detects the counterfeit tablet or capsule. providing a hand-held device (20; 210) comprising: - a plurality of light sources (28; 74a-c, 76a-c, 78a-c, 80a-c, 82a-b, 84a-c, 86a-b, 88a-b, 90) configured to be selectively energized to turn the light sources (28; 74a-c, 76a-c, 78a-c, 80a-c, 82a-b, 84a-c, 86a-b, 88a-b, 90) on and off according to a sequence to emit light at a plurality of different illumination wavelengths onto an object; - at least one image acquisition device (34; 70a, 70b) for receiving light returning from the illuminated object and acquiring an image of the illuminated object; and - at least one display (36, 52); - a plurality of light sources (28; 74a-c, 76a-c, 78a-c, 80a-c, 82a-b, 84a-c, 86a-b, 88a-b, 90) configured to be selectively energized to turn the light sources (28; 74a-c, 76a-c, 78a-c, 80a-c, 82a-b, 84a-c, 86a-b, 88a-b, 90) on and off according to a sequence to emit light at a plurality of different illumination wavelengths onto an object; - at least one image acquisition device (34; 70a, 70b) for receiving light returning from the illuminated object and acquiring an image of the illuminated object; and - at least one display (36, 52); selecting said plurality of different illumination wavelengths to reveal a difference in color between an image of an authentic tablet or capsule and a counterfeit tablet or capsule that has a different formulation or composition than the authentic tablet or capsule; exposing by the plurality of light sources a suspected counterfeit pharmaceutical tablet or capsule to illumination light of said selected plurality of different illumination wavelengths; acquiring by the image acquisition device (34; 70a, 70b) an image of said suspected counterfeit tablet or capsule illuminated by the illumination light of said plurality of different illumination wavelengths; viewing on the at least one display (36; 52) the image of said suspect counterfeit tablet or capsule and an image of a known authentic tablet or capsule under illumination by the same plurality of different illumination wavelengths; and comparing the color of the image of said suspected counterfeit tablet or capsule to a color of the image of the known authentic tablet or capsule, wherein a difference in color between the image of the suspect counterfeit tablet or capsule and the image of the known authentic tablet or capsule indicates a difference in formulation or composition that detects the counterfeit tablet or capsule.