openFDA Drug, Food & Device Data Scraper

openFDA Drug, Food & Device Data Scraper — a fast, reliable openfda scraper that needs no API key. You pay only for the results you get: failed or empty runs are always free.

This openfda scraper runs on the Apify platform, so you can call it from the API, run it on a schedule, or export results to JSON, CSV, Excel, or Google Sheets.

What this scraper does

• Extracts structured openfda data with no browser or API key required
• Returns clean JSON, one record per result — ready for sheets, databases, or apps
• Pay-per-result pricing: you are never charged for a run that returns nothing
• Runs on demand or on a schedule, and integrates with 5,000+ apps via the Apify API and webhooks

What data you get

Each result record includes fields such as:

• Recall Number (recallNumber) — e.g. "D-1240-2019"
• Event Id (eventId) — e.g. "82620"
• Status (status) — e.g. "Terminated"
• Classification (classification) — e.g. "Class II"
• Product Type (productType) — e.g. "Drugs"
• Product Description (productDescription) — e.g. "DelNido Cardioplegia (Normosol-R pH 7.4 or Plasma-Lyte A...
• Reason For Recall (reasonForRecall) — e.g. "Lack of sterility assurance."
• Recalling Firm (recallingFirm) — e.g. "CMC Enterprise Pharmacy"
• Distribution Pattern (distributionPattern) — e.g. "NC"
• Product Quantity (productQuantity) — e.g. "110 bags"
• Code Info (codeInfo) — e.g. "Lots: ED041909 Exp. 4/13/2019; ED111907 Exp. 4/20/2019"
• Voluntary Mandated (voluntaryMandated) — e.g. "Voluntary: Firm initiated"
• Initial Firm Notification (initialFirmNotification) — e.g. "Letter"
• City (city) — e.g. "Charlotte"
• State (state) — e.g. "NC"

Input

Field	Type	Description
dataset	string	Which openFDA dataset to query. Each maps to an api.fda.gov endpoint.
searchTerms	array	One search run per term (results are combined across runs). Leave empty to fetch the most recent records fo...
searchField	string	Restrict the search to one openFDA field, e.g. patient.drug.medicinalproduct (drug events), reason_for_reca...
maxResults	integer	Maximum records to return per search term. Paged 100 at a time; keyless deep-paging caps at 25,000.
minDate	string	Keep only records on or after this date (YYYY-MM-DD). Compared against the dataset's primary date field (re...
apiKey	string	Optional free openFDA api_key to raise rate limits. Get one at https://open.fda.gov/apis/authentication/ . ...

Example output

{
  "type": "drug-enforcement",
  "recallNumber": "D-1240-2019",
  "eventId": "82620",
  "status": "Terminated",
  "classification": "Class II",
  "productType": "Drugs",
  "productDescription": "DelNido Cardioplegia (Normosol-R pH 7.4 or Plasma-Lyte A pH 7.4 1000 mL bag) Mannitol 20%-16.3 mL, Potassium Chloride 2 meq/mL-13 mL, Sodium Bicarbonate 8.4%-Lidocaine 1%-1:1 Dilution-26 mL, Magnesium Sulfate 500 mg/mL-4 mL, Cardiac Perfusion Only - Not for IV Use, Made by: Enterprise Pharmacy, 4400 Golf Acres Drive, Bldg. J Suite E, Charlotte, NC, 28208.",
  "reasonForRecall": "Lack of sterility assurance.",
  "recallingFirm": "CMC Enterprise Pharmacy",
  "distributionPattern": "NC",
  "productQuantity": "110 bags",
  "codeInfo": "Lots: ED041909 Exp. 4/13/2019; ED111907 Exp. 4/20/2019",
  "voluntaryMandated": "Voluntary: Firm initiated",
  "initialFirmNotification": "Letter",
  "city": "Charlotte",
  "state": "NC",
  "country": "United States",
  "postalCode": "28208-5968",
  "reportDate": "2019-05-01",
  "recallInitiationDate": "2019-04-12",
  "centerClassificationDate": "2019-04-23",
  "terminationDate": "2019-10-30",
  "brandName": [],
  "genericName": [],
  "manufacturerName": []
}

Use cases

• Automate research and data collection
• Feed dashboards, sheets, and databases
• Enrich records in your CRM or app
• Monitor changes on a schedule

Run it as a monitor (alerts on new openfda)

Schedule this openfda scraper to run automatically — hourly, daily, or on any cron schedule — with the built-in Apify Scheduler, and have results pushed to you by webhook, email, Slack, or your own app the moment they're ready. It's the easiest way to monitor openfda for changes over time and get alerted the instant something new appears — no manual runs. Because pricing is per result, a scheduled monitor only ever charges you for the data each run actually returns.

Pricing

This actor uses pay-per-result pricing at $0.0006 per record. There is no monthly fee and no start fee — and empty or failed runs cost $0, so you only ever pay for data you actually receive.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an API key or account for the source? No. This openfda scraper works out of the box with no API key required.

What happens if a run returns no results? You are not charged. Billing is per result, so empty or failed runs are free.

Can I run the openfda scraper on a schedule? Yes. Use the Apify Scheduler to run it hourly, daily, or on any cron schedule, and get results by webhook or API.

What export formats are supported? Results can be exported as JSON, CSV, Excel, HTML, or pushed to Google Sheets, a database, or your own app via the Apify API.

Is the data structured? Yes. Every openfda result is a clean, flat JSON record you can use immediately.