# OpenFDA Drug and Device Recall Radar (`adaptive_nightmare/openfda-drug-recall-radar`) Actor

Search official FDA enforcement reports for drug and medical device recalls, severity classifications, and distribution patterns.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/adaptive_nightmare/openfda-drug-recall-radar.md
- **Developed by:** [Darim Quraishi](https://apify.com/adaptive_nightmare) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$1.20 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## OpenFDA drug and device recall radar

Extract official drug and medical device recall actions, severity classifications, reasons for recall, and distribution patterns directly from the OpenFDA enforcement database.

### What data is collected

Each record includes:

- FDA recall identification number
- Severity classification: Class I (dangerous or defective), Class II (temporary health problems), or Class III (minor violations)
- Current recall status (Ongoing, Completed, or Terminated)
- Commercial product description
- Official reason for recall
- Recalling company or entity
- Geographical distribution pattern
- Total quantity of units affected
- Recall initiation date and FDA publication date
- Voluntary vs mandated status
- Scrape timestamp

### Input options

- Recall Severity Classification (classification): Filter by severity class (ALL, Class I, Class II, Class III).
- Keyword or Firm Name (searchQuery): Filter by specific product, chemical name, or manufacturer.
- Maximum Recalls (maxItems): Number of records to collect (default: 50, maximum: 200).

### Sample output

```json
{
  "recallNumber": "D-321-2016",
  "classification": "Class II",
  "status": "Terminated",
  "productDescription": "Compounded sterile preparations within expiry...",
  "reasonForRecall": "Lack of assurance of sterility.",
  "recallingFirm": "Essential Wellness Pharma",
  "distributionPattern": "Nationwide",
  "productQuantity": "1,200 vials",
  "recallInitiationDate": "2016-01-15",
  "reportDate": "2016-02-03",
  "voluntaryMandated": "Voluntary: Firm Initiated",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-24T06:00:00.000Z"
}
```

### Pricing and compute efficiency

This Actor runs in a 256 MB RAM container using standard HTTP requests without proxy overhead. Executions finish in 1 to 2 seconds and use approximately 0.00015 compute units per run.

# Actor input Schema

## `classification` (type: `string`):

Filter by FDA recall classification severity.

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Search by drug name, recalling firm, or reason for recall (optional).

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of recall records to collect.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "classification": "ALL",
  "searchQuery": "",
  "maxItems": 50
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("adaptive_nightmare/openfda-drug-recall-radar").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("adaptive_nightmare/openfda-drug-recall-radar").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call adaptive_nightmare/openfda-drug-recall-radar --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,adaptive_nightmare/openfda-drug-recall-radar"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/ead1zFWgKJSWmOxny/builds/lfif5SPYsY8ZT8qOr/openapi.json