A medication assurance system for verifying a medication and a subject, the medication assurance system comprising: a transflection portable spectrometer, the transflection portable spectrometer comprising: a light source for illuminating the medication; a medication holder for holding the medication being illuminated by the light source; the medication holder being coated with a reflective coating; a laterally variable filter for receiving light reflected from, or transmitted through the medication; and a photodetector array optically coupled to the laterally variable filter for wavelength-selective detection of the received or transmitted light respectively; a light collecting element disposed between the medication holder and the laterally variable filter; the light collecting element configured to collect light after the light is transmitted through the medication for a first time, reflected from the coating of the medication holder, and transmitted through the medication for a second time, the light including light reflected by a lower side of the medication; a subject identification device for identifying the subject of the medication; and a controller, coupled to the transflection portable spectrometer and the subject identification device, configured to: identify the medication from the light collected by the light collecting element, compare, based on identifying the medication, information associated with the medication to information associated with one or more medications associated with the subject; and determine, based on comparing the information associated with the medication to information associated with the one or more medications, if the medication is to be taken by the subject. a transflection portable spectrometer, the transflection portable spectrometer comprising: a light source for illuminating the medication; a medication holder for holding the medication being illuminated by the light source; the medication holder being coated with a reflective coating; a laterally variable filter for receiving light reflected from, or transmitted through the medication; and a photodetector array optically coupled to the laterally variable filter for wavelength-selective detection of the received or transmitted light respectively; a light collecting element disposed between the medication holder and the laterally variable filter; the light collecting element configured to collect light after the light is transmitted through the medication for a first time, reflected from the coating of the medication holder, and transmitted through the medication for a second time, the light including light reflected by a lower side of the medication; a light source for illuminating the medication; a medication holder for holding the medication being illuminated by the light source; the medication holder being coated with a reflective coating; a laterally variable filter for receiving light reflected from, or transmitted through the medication; and a photodetector array optically coupled to the laterally variable filter for wavelength-selective detection of the received or transmitted light respectively; a light collecting element disposed between the medication holder and the laterally variable filter; the light collecting element configured to collect light after the light is transmitted through the medication for a first time, reflected from the coating of the medication holder, and transmitted through the medication for a second time, the light including light reflected by a lower side of the medication; a subject identification device for identifying the subject of the medication; and a controller, coupled to the transflection portable spectrometer and the subject identification device, configured to: identify the medication from the light collected by the light collecting element, compare, based on identifying the medication, information associated with the medication to information associated with one or more medications associated with the subject; and determine, based on comparing the information associated with the medication to information associated with the one or more medications, if the medication is to be taken by the subject. identify the medication from the light collected by the light collecting element, compare, based on identifying the medication, information associated with the medication to information associated with one or more medications associated with the subject; and determine, based on comparing the information associated with the medication to information associated with the one or more medications, if the medication is to be taken by the subject.