# Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper (`blackfalcondata/mercurydrug-com-scraper`) Actor

Search the Mercury Drug Philippines generic medicine directory by name or ingredient and get generic names, synonyms, drug class and Prescribing Information Sheet PDF links, with scheduled runs that return only new or changed entries.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/mercurydrug-com-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Black Falcon Data](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata) (community)
- **Categories:** E-commerce, Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.04 / 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

### What does Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper do?

Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper is a scraper API for the Philippines generic medicines directory on [mercurydrug.com](https://mercurydrug.com). Search by name or ingredient and get one structured JSON row per medicine with its generic name, synonyms, drug class and a PDF link to the Prescribing Information Sheet. Scheduled runs can return only new or changed entries.

**New to Apify?** [Sign up free](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=1h3gvi) and use the included $5 monthly platform credit to test this actor.

### Key features

- **🔍 Keyword search:** search mercurydrug.com by keyword with the `query` input.
- **🔗 Paste-mode:** paste mercurydrug.com URLs into `startUrls` to scrape exactly the pages you picked in the browser.
- **💊 Generic name and page label per drug:** every record carries Mercury Drug's own `drugCode`, the printed `genericName` (the generic drug name) and the `displayName` page label shown on the drug page, plus `detailUrl` and `sourceUrl` back to the exact page, so you can join the catalogue to your own formulary list and check every row against the source.
- **🏷️ Synonyms and drug class:** with `includeDetails` on, each drug gets its `synonyms` (alternative names as a list) and its `drugClass` from the detail page, so you can group drugs by therapeutic class and match them under any of their names.
- **📄 Patient information sheet link:** `pisPdfUrl` is the absolute link to the drug's patient information sheet (PIS) PDF on mercurydrug.com, ready to download or archive.
- **📋 Detail enrichment:** two-stage scraping — list first, then enrich each listing with the full detail-page payload. One input toggle controls the depth.
- **♻️ Incremental mode:** incremental mode returns only generic drugs that are new, reappeared, or whose tracked content changed (name or label, drug class, synonyms, PIS PDF link) since the last run with the same search.
- **🔔 Notifications:** get an alert on each run. Combine with incremental mode to be pinged only when a drug entry is added or its content changes.
- **🔌 MCP connectors:** export your results into Notion via Apify's MCP connectors — a clean run-summary page, no glue code. Opt-in via the App connector field; deterministic field-mapping, no AI. Built on Apify's connector framework, so more destinations open up as their catalog grows.
- **📌 Change classification:** each record carries a `changeType` of NEW / UPDATED / UNCHANGED / REAPPEARED / EXPIRED. Default emits NEW + UPDATED + REAPPEARED; opt into the others with `emitUnchanged` / `emitExpired`.
- **📤 Export anywhere:** Download the dataset as JSON, CSV, or Excel from the Apify Console, or stream live via the Apify API and integrations (Make, Zapier, Google Sheets, n8n, …).

### What data can you extract from mercurydrug.com?

Each result includes Core product fields (`listingId`, `drugCode`, `genericName`, `displayName`, `synonyms`, `drugClass`, `pisPdfUrl`, and `portalUrl`, and more) and detail fields when enrichment is enabled (`detailUrl` and `detailFetched`). In standard mode, all fields are always present — unavailable data points are returned as `null`, never omitted. In compact mode, only core fields are returned.

Detail enrichment is on by default and fetches each record's detail page — extra fields the search results omit.

### Input

The main inputs are a search keyword and a result limit. Additional filters and options are available in the input schema.

Key parameters:

- **`query`** — Generic drug or active-ingredient name to search for (substring match, at least 3 characters) — e.g. "paracetamol", "amoxicillin". Paste a JSON array to search several at once, e.g. \["paracetamol","ibuprofen"].
- **`maxResults`** — Maximum total results (0 = unlimited). (default: `100`)
- **`startUrls`** — Paste raw generic-search URLs from mercurydrug.com (e.g. https://www.mercurydrug.com/cgi-bin/drugsearch?searchtype=Generic\&searchitem=paracetamol). Each URL becomes its own search task; results are merged and deduped. When provided, startUrls REPLACE the query field (unsupported URLs are skipped, and if none is supported the run stops with an input error). (default: `[]`)
- **`includeDetails`** — Fetch each generic's detail page for synonyms, drug class and the Prescribing Information Sheet (PDF) link. Turn off for a names-only index (faster, fewer fields). (default: `true`)
- **`compact`** — Core fields only (for AI-agent/MCP workflows). (default: `false`)
- **`excludeEmptyFields`** — Drop null, empty-string, and empty-array fields from each record before push. Smaller payloads for AI agents and dashboards. (default: `false`)
- **`incrementalMode`** — Compare against previous run state. stateKey is optional — defaults to a value derived from search inputs (queries, startUrls) so different searches never share state. (default: `false`)
- **`stateKey`** — Optional. Stable identifier for the tracked search universe. Leave empty to auto-generate from search inputs.
- **`emitUnchanged`** — When incremental, also emit generic-drug entries that have not changed since the last run (marked UNCHANGED). (default: `false`)
- **`emitExpired`** — When incremental, also emit previously seen entries that are no longer found (marked EXPIRED). Scans the complete result set to decide. (default: `false`)
- **`skipReposts`** — When incremental, skip entries whose content matches an entry that disappeared in a prior run (cross-run duplicate detection). (default: `false`)
- **`notifyOnlyChanges`** — When Incremental Mode is on, only send notifications for NEW and UPDATED entries. Has no effect outside incremental mode. (default: `false`)
- ...and 13 more parameters

### Input examples

**Basic search** — Keyword-driven search with a result cap.

→ Full payload per result — all standard fields populated where the source provides them.

```json
{
  "query": "paracetamol",
  "maxResults": 50
}
```

**Incremental tracking** — Only emit products that changed since the previous run with this `stateKey`.

→ First run builds the baseline state. Subsequent runs emit only records that are new or whose tracked content changed. Set `emitUnchanged: true` to include unchanged records as well.

```json
{
  "query": "paracetamol",
  "maxResults": 200,
  "incrementalMode": true,
  "stateKey": "paracetamol-tracker"
}
```

**Compact output for AI agents** — Return only core fields for AI-agent and MCP workflows.

→ Small payload with the most important fields — ideal for piping into LLMs without token overhead.

```json
{
  "query": "paracetamol",
  "maxResults": 50,
  "compact": true
}
```

### Output

Each run produces a dataset of structured product records. Results can be downloaded as JSON, CSV, or Excel from the Dataset tab in Apify Console.

### Example product record

```json
{
  "listingId": "a26b511952e61aa2695eb62bee8749b68d6073acd55b44484d607b265b45c1a3",
  "drugCode": "1011018",
  "genericName": "Paracetamol",
  "displayName": "Paracetamol",
  "synonyms": [
    "Acetaminophen"
  ],
  "drugClass": "Analgesics (Non-Opioid) & Antipyretics",
  "pisPdfUrl": "https://www.mercurydrug.com/pis/Paracetamol.pdf",
  "detailUrl": "https://www.mercurydrug.com/cgi-bin/gensearch?code=1011018",
  "portalUrl": "https://www.mercurydrug.com/cgi-bin/gensearch?code=1011018",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.mercurydrug.com/cgi-bin/gensearch?code=1011018",
  "searchQuery": "paracetamol",
  "contentQuality": "full",
  "detailFetched": true,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-20T00:33:58.702Z",
  "source": "mercurydrug.com",
  "contentHash": "fe642609bbd69c040527930aa688e379874826986e8fce797855d40fd25ea07e"
}
```

### Incremental fields

When incremental mode is on, each record also carries:

- `changeType` — one of `NEW`, `UPDATED`, `UNCHANGED`, `REAPPEARED`, `EXPIRED`. Default output covers `NEW` / `UPDATED` / `REAPPEARED`; set `emitUnchanged: true` or `emitExpired: true` to opt into the others.
- `isRepost`, `repostOfId`, `repostDetectedAt` — populated when a new listing matches the tracked content of a previously expired one. Set `skipReposts: true` to drop detected reposts from the output.

### How to scrape mercurydrug.com

1. Go to [Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/mercurydrug-com-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) in Apify Console.
2. Enter a search keyword.
3. Set `maxResults` to control how many results you need.
4. Keep `includeDetails` on (the default) for the extra detail-page fields, or turn it off for faster, cheaper runs.
5. Click **Start** and wait for the run to finish.
6. Export the dataset as JSON, CSV, or Excel.

### Use cases

- Extract product data from mercurydrug.com for market research and competitive analysis.
- Monitor new and changed products on scheduled runs without processing the full dataset every time.
- Feed structured data into AI agents, MCP tools, and automated pipelines using compact mode.
- Export clean, structured data to dashboards, spreadsheets, or data warehouses.

### How much does it cost to scrape mercurydrug.com?

Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper uses [pay-per-event](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/paid-actors/pay-per-event) pricing. You pay a small fee when the run starts and then for each result that is actually produced.

- **Run start:** $0.01 per run
- **Per result:** $0.00004 per product record

Example costs:

- 10 results: **$0.01**
- 25 results: **$0.011**
- 100 results: **$0.014**
- 200 results: **$0.017**
- 500 results: **$0.028**

#### Example: recurring monitoring savings

These examples compare full re-scrapes with incremental runs at different churn rates. Churn is the share of products that are new or whose tracked content changed since the previous run. Actual churn depends on your query breadth, source activity, and polling frequency — the scenarios below are examples, not predictions.

Example setup: 250 products per run, daily polling (30 runs/month). Costs scale linearly with the number of products.

| Churn rate | Full re-scrape run cost | Incremental run cost | Savings vs full re-scrape | Monthly cost after baseline |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|
| 5% — stable niche query | $0.02 | $0.01 | $0.00855 (45%) | $0.31 |
| 15% — moderate broad query | $0.02 | $0.01 | $0.00765 (40%) | $0.34 |
| 30% — high-volume aggregator | $0.02 | $0.01 | $0.0063 (33%) | $0.38 |

Full re-scrape monthly cost at the same cadence: $0.57. First month with incremental costs $0.32 / $0.35 / $0.39 for the 5% / 15% / 30% scenarios because the first run builds baseline state at full cost before incremental savings apply.

Platform usage is included in the per-result fee shown above.

### FAQ

#### How many results can I get from mercurydrug.com?

The number of results depends on the search query and available products on mercurydrug.com. Use the `maxResults` parameter to control how many results are returned per run.

#### Does Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper support recurring monitoring?

Yes. Enable incremental mode to only receive new or changed products on subsequent runs. This is ideal for scheduled monitoring where you want to track changes over time without re-processing the full dataset.

#### Can I integrate Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper with other apps?

Yes. Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper works with Apify's [integrations](https://apify.com/integrations?fpr=1h3gvi) to connect with tools like Zapier, Make, Google Sheets, Slack, and more. You can also use webhooks to trigger actions when a run completes.

#### Can I use Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper with the Apify API?

Yes. You can start runs, manage inputs, and retrieve results programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2). Client libraries are available for JavaScript, Python, and other languages.

#### Can I use Mercury Drug Generic Medicine Scraper through an MCP Server?

Yes. Apify provides an [MCP Server](https://apify.com/apify/actors-mcp-server?fpr=1h3gvi) that lets AI assistants and agents call this actor directly. Use compact mode, a single `descriptionFormat`, and `excludeEmptyFields` to keep payloads manageable for LLM context windows.

#### Is it legal to scrape mercurydrug.com?

This actor extracts publicly available data from mercurydrug.com. Web scraping of public information is generally considered legal, but you should always review the target site's terms of service and ensure your use case complies with applicable laws and regulations, including GDPR where relevant.

#### Your feedback

If you have questions, need a feature, or found a bug, please [open an issue](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/mercurydrug-com-scraper/issues?fpr=1h3gvi) on the actor's page in Apify Console. Your feedback helps us improve.

### You might also like

- [🚗 mobile.de \[$0.59/1K💰\] Fast Scraper · Finance · Dealer GPS](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/mobile-de-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape mobile.de — Germany's largest car marketplace (1.4M+ listings) at $0.6 / 1,000 results. Get.
- [2dehands.be Listings Scraper Belgium](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/2dehands-be-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape 2dehands.be listings by keyword, category or postcode, with car year, mileage and fuel type..
- [ALDI Scraper — Grocery Prices, 14 Countries](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/aldi-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape ALDI grocery products and prices across 14 countries — the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria,.
- [ALDI US Scraper — Grocery Prices by ZIP Code](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/aldi-us-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape aldi.us grocery products with prices, sizes, brands, categories, per-unit pricing and stock..
- [Alibaba.com Product & Supplier Scraper](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/alibaba-com-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape alibaba.com — product listings by keyword or supplier country with price range, minimum.
- [Amazon All Countries Scraper](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/amazon-all-countries-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape Amazon products from 22 marketplaces by keyword or pasted search URL, with ASIN, title,.
- [Amazon Product Scraper - Search Results & Product Details](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/amazon-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape Amazon product listings by search term — title, ASIN, price, list price, star rating,.
- [Apotek1 Norway Scraper — Pharmacy Products](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/apotek1-no-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape apotek1.no — Norway's online pharmacy. Get structured data for medicines, supplements.

### Getting started with Apify

New to Apify? [Create a free account with $5 credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=1h3gvi) — no credit card required.

1. Sign up — $5 platform credit included
2. Open this actor and configure your input
3. Click **Start** — export results as JSON, CSV, or Excel

Need more later? [See Apify pricing](https://apify.com/pricing?fpr=1h3gvi).

### Disclaimer

This actor accesses only publicly available data on mercurydrug.com. You are responsible for how you use the extracted data — in particular any personal information such as names, phone numbers, or email addresses — and for complying with Mercury Drug Generic Medicine's terms of use, applicable data-protection law (including the GDPR where it applies), and the anti-spam rules of your jurisdiction.

This actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Mercury Drug Generic Medicine or any of its subsidiaries. All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

### Search keywords

mercurydrug scraper, mercurydrug api, apify mercurydrug, mercurydrug data extraction, mercury drug generic medicine scraper, mercury drug generic medicine api, apify mercury drug generic medicine, mercury drug generic medicine data extraction, mercurydrug.com scraper, mercurydrug.com data, mercurydrug.com api.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/mercurydrug-com-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

Generic drug or active-ingredient name to search for (substring match, at least 3 characters) — e.g. "paracetamol", "amoxicillin". Paste a JSON array to search several at once, e.g. \["paracetamol","ibuprofen"].

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum total results (0 = unlimited).

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Paste raw generic-search URLs from mercurydrug.com (e.g. https://www.mercurydrug.com/cgi-bin/drugsearch?searchtype=Generic\&searchitem=paracetamol). Each URL becomes its own search task; results are merged and deduped. When provided, startUrls REPLACE the query field (unsupported URLs are skipped, and if none is supported the run stops with an input error).

## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Fetch each generic's detail page for synonyms, drug class and the Prescribing Information Sheet (PDF) link. Turn off for a names-only index (faster, fewer fields).

## `compact` (type: `boolean`):

Core fields only (for AI-agent/MCP workflows).

## `excludeEmptyFields` (type: `boolean`):

Drop null, empty-string, and empty-array fields from each record before push. Smaller payloads for AI agents and dashboards.

## `incrementalMode` (type: `boolean`):

Compare against previous run state. stateKey is optional — defaults to a value derived from search inputs (queries, startUrls) so different searches never share state.

## `stateKey` (type: `string`):

Optional. Stable identifier for the tracked search universe. Leave empty to auto-generate from search inputs.

## `emitUnchanged` (type: `boolean`):

When incremental, also emit generic-drug entries that have not changed since the last run (marked UNCHANGED).

## `emitExpired` (type: `boolean`):

When incremental, also emit previously seen entries that are no longer found (marked EXPIRED). Scans the complete result set to decide.

## `skipReposts` (type: `boolean`):

When incremental, skip entries whose content matches an entry that disappeared in a prior run (cross-run duplicate detection).

## `notifyOnlyChanges` (type: `boolean`):

When Incremental Mode is on, only send notifications for NEW and UPDATED entries. Has no effect outside incremental mode.

## `notificationLimit` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of entries included in each notification message (1–20).

## `telegramToken` (type: `string`):

Telegram bot token (from @BotFather). Required for Telegram notifications.

## `telegramChatId` (type: `string`):

Telegram chat or channel ID (e.g. "-100123456789"). Required when telegramToken is set.

## `discordWebhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Discord incoming webhook URL. Server Settings → Integrations → Webhooks → New Webhook.

## `slackWebhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Slack incoming webhook URL. api.slack.com/messaging/webhooks.

## `whatsappPhoneNumberId` (type: `string`):

Your WhatsApp Business phone-number ID (numeric, from Meta dashboard). Required when whatsappAccessToken is set.

## `whatsappAccessToken` (type: `string`):

WhatsApp Cloud API permanent access token (System User token from Meta Business). Recipient must have messaged the business number within the last 24h (service-conversation window — free since Nov 2024).

## `whatsappTo` (type: `string`):

Recipient phone in E.164 format without + (e.g. "436641234567"). Recipient must have messaged your business number within last 24h.

## `webhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Receives a JSON POST with {metadata, items} after each run. Universal escape hatch for n8n / Make / Zapier / custom backends.

## `webhookHeaders` (type: `object`):

Optional JSON object of custom headers (e.g. {"Authorization":"Bearer ..."}).

## `appConnector` (type: `string`):

Optional. Pick a connected app under Settings → API & Integrations to receive your results. Best-effort across MCP connectors as Apify expands its catalog.

## `mcpIssueTeam` (type: `string`):

Only when the connected app is an issue tracker: the team (name or ID) the summary issue is created under, if that app requires one.

## `descriptionFormat` (type: `string`):

Choose which representation of the listing description to include. `all` keeps every variant; the others keep only the selected one.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "query": "paracetamol",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "startUrls": [],
  "includeDetails": true,
  "compact": false,
  "excludeEmptyFields": false,
  "incrementalMode": false,
  "emitUnchanged": false,
  "emitExpired": false,
  "skipReposts": false,
  "notifyOnlyChanges": false,
  "notificationLimit": 5,
  "descriptionFormat": "all"
}
```

# 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 = {
    "query": "paracetamol",
    "maxResults": 100,
    "excludeEmptyFields": false,
    "descriptionFormat": "all"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("blackfalcondata/mercurydrug-com-scraper").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 = {
    "query": "paracetamol",
    "maxResults": 100,
    "excludeEmptyFields": False,
    "descriptionFormat": "all",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("blackfalcondata/mercurydrug-com-scraper").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 '{
  "query": "paracetamol",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "excludeEmptyFields": false,
  "descriptionFormat": "all"
}' |
apify call blackfalcondata/mercurydrug-com-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,blackfalcondata/mercurydrug-com-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

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/ZJOQ7hhovGPCcC1CS/builds/Anw5kSg7RcDplQKIZ/openapi.json