# openFDA Scraper (`datamule/openfda-scraper`) Actor Scrape the U.S. FDA's official openFDA API — drug & device adverse events, recalls/enforcement, 510(k) clearances, product labels, NDC, food & animal events. One actor over 18 official public datasets with the full search/count/sort grammar. Pay per record. - **URL**: https://apify.com/datamule/openfda-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Datamule](https://apify.com/datamule) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $0.35 / 1,000 record scrapeds This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. Actors are written with capital "A". ## 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. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## openFDA Scraper Pull structured public‑health data straight from the **U.S. FDA's official [openFDA API](https://open.fda.gov/)** — no scraping, no anti‑bot fights, no auth required. One Actor covers **18 official FDA datasets** with the full openFDA query grammar (search, count, sort, pagination), and returns clean, table‑ready records with the complete original object preserved. Great for pharmacovigilance, medical‑device safety monitoring, recall tracking, regulatory & competitive intelligence, research, and data journalism. ### Datasets covered | Group | Endpoint | What it is | |-------|----------|------------| | Drug | `drug/event` | Adverse‑event reports (FAERS) | | Drug | `drug/label` | Structured product labeling (SPL) | | Drug | `drug/enforcement` | Drug recalls / enforcement reports | | Drug | `drug/ndc` | National Drug Code directory | | Drug | `drug/drugsfda` | Drugs@FDA approvals | | Device | `device/event` | Medical‑device adverse events (MAUDE) | | Device | `device/510k` | 510(k) clearances | | Device | `device/classification` | Device classification | | Device | `device/enforcement` | Device recalls / enforcement | | Device | `device/recall` | Device recalls | | Device | `device/pma` | Pre‑market approvals | | Device | `device/udi` | Unique device identifiers (GUDID) | | Device | `device/registrationlisting` | Registration & listing | | Device | `device/covid19serology` | COVID‑19 serology test performance | | Food | `food/enforcement` | Food recalls / enforcement | | Food | `food/event` | Food & cosmetic adverse events (CAERS) | | Animal | `animalandveterinary/event` | Animal & veterinary adverse events | | Tobacco | `tobacco/problem` | Tobacco problem reports | ### Input | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `endpoint` | select | Which openFDA dataset to query (default `drug/event`). | | `search` | string | openFDA search query, e.g. `patient.drug.medicinalproduct:aspirin` or `classification:"Class I" AND report_date:[20240101 TO 20241231]`. Empty = most recent records. | | `count` | string | Aggregation field → returns `{term, count}` buckets instead of records, e.g. `patient.reaction.reactionmeddrapt.exact`. Append `.exact` to count whole phrases. | | `sort` | string | e.g. `receivedate:desc`, `decision_date:desc` (record mode only). | | `maxResults` | integer | Max records/buckets to return (auto‑paginated). Default 100. | | `skip` | integer | Starting offset (record mode; openFDA caps `skip` at 25000). | | `apiKey` | string | Optional free [openFDA API key](https://open.fda.gov/apis/authentication/) — raises the rate limit. Not required. | See each endpoint's searchable fields in the [openFDA API reference](https://open.fda.gov/apis/). ### Output Because the 18 datasets have very different native shapes, every record carries a small set of **normalized convenience columns** — `endpoint`, `recordId`, `primaryDate`, `name`, `company`, `classification`, `reason`, `status`, `country`, `state` — **plus the full, lossless original record under `raw`**, so nothing from the source is dropped. In **count mode** each record is a `{term, count}` bucket. Example (drug recall): ```json { "endpoint": "drug/enforcement", "mode": "search", "recordId": "D-0595-2026", "primaryDate": "2026-06-04", "name": "Gas-X Extra Strength, SIMETHICONE 125 mg ...", "company": "Haleon US Holdings LLC", "classification": "Class I", "reason": "Chemical Contamination ...", "status": "Ongoing", "country": "United States", "state": "NJ", "raw": { "...": "the complete original openFDA object" } } ```` ### Pricing Pay‑per‑result: you are charged per record (or count bucket) returned. Failed or empty queries cost nothing. ### Notes - Data comes directly from `api.fda.gov` — the official FDA endpoint. This Actor does not modify or validate the underlying data; consult FDA's [disclaimer](https://open.fda.gov/terms/). Do not use openFDA data to make decisions about medical care. - openFDA is public and free; an optional API key only raises rate limits. - Deep paging is capped at `skip=25000` by openFDA — for very large pulls, window through the data with a date‑range `search` + `sort`. # Actor input Schema ## `endpoint` (type: `string`): Which openFDA dataset to query. Each is an official FDA public dataset with the same search grammar. e.g. drug/event = drug adverse-event reports (FAERS), drug/enforcement = drug recalls, device/510k = device clearances, food/enforcement = food recalls. ## `search` (type: `string`): openFDA search query (Lucene-style). Field:value with AND/OR, quoted phrases, and ranges. Examples: patient.drug.medicinalproduct:aspirin | classification:"Class I" AND report\_date:\[20240101 TO 20241231] | device\_name:pacemaker. Leave empty to return the most recent records for the endpoint. See https://open.fda.gov/apis/ for each endpoint's searchable fields. ## `count` (type: `string`): Switches to openFDA COUNT mode: instead of raw records, return the frequency of values in this field as {term, count} buckets. e.g. patient.reaction.reactionmeddrapt.exact (top reactions), classification (recalls by class), openfda.manufacturer\_name.exact. Leave empty for normal record mode. Append .exact to count whole phrases. ## `sort` (type: `string`): Sort results by a field, e.g. receivedate:desc, decision\_date:desc, report\_date:asc. Only applies in record mode (not count mode). Leave empty for the API default order. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of records (or count buckets) to return. Record mode paginates automatically at up to 1000 per request. Note: openFDA caps deep paging at skip=25000 — for very large pulls, use a date-range search + sort to window through the data. ## `skip` (type: `integer`): Starting offset into the result set (record mode only). openFDA caps skip at 25000. Usually leave at 0 and use maxResults; set this only to resume a large pull. ## `apiKey` (type: `string`): Optional free openFDA API key (get one at https://open.fda.gov/apis/authentication/). Raises the rate limit from 40 req/min & 1,000/day to 240 req/min & 120,000/day. Not required — the API works without it. ## Actor input object example ```json { "endpoint": "drug/event", "search": "patient.drug.medicinalproduct:aspirin", "maxResults": 100, "skip": 0 } ``` # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "search": "patient.drug.medicinalproduct:aspirin", "count": "", "sort": "", "maxResults": 100, "skip": 0, "apiKey": "" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("datamule/openfda-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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "search": "patient.drug.medicinalproduct:aspirin", "count": "", "sort": "", "maxResults": 100, "skip": 0, "apiKey": "", } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("datamule/openfda-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "search": "patient.drug.medicinalproduct:aspirin", "count": "", "sort": "", "maxResults": 100, "skip": 0, "apiKey": "" }' | apify call datamule/openfda-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=datamule/openfda-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "openFDA Scraper", "description": "Scrape the U.S. FDA's official openFDA API — drug & device adverse events, recalls/enforcement, 510(k) clearances, product labels, NDC, food & animal events. One actor over 18 official public datasets with the full search/count/sort grammar. Pay per record.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "OfE7T327q9MV6KYHt" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/datamule~openfda-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-datamule-openfda-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/datamule~openfda-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-datamule-openfda-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/datamule~openfda-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-datamule-openfda-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "endpoint": { "title": "openFDA endpoint", "enum": [ "drug/event", "drug/label", "drug/enforcement", "drug/ndc", "drug/drugsfda", "device/event", "device/510k", "device/classification", "device/enforcement", "device/recall", "device/pma", "device/udi", "device/registrationlisting", "device/covid19serology", "food/enforcement", "food/event", "animalandveterinary/event", "tobacco/problem" ], "type": "string", "description": "Which openFDA dataset to query. Each is an official FDA public dataset with the same search grammar. e.g. drug/event = drug adverse-event reports (FAERS), drug/enforcement = drug recalls, device/510k = device clearances, food/enforcement = food recalls.", "default": "drug/event" }, "search": { "title": "Search query", "type": "string", "description": "openFDA search query (Lucene-style). Field:value with AND/OR, quoted phrases, and ranges. Examples: patient.drug.medicinalproduct:aspirin | classification:\"Class I\" AND report_date:[20240101 TO 20241231] | device_name:pacemaker. Leave empty to return the most recent records for the endpoint. See https://open.fda.gov/apis/ for each endpoint's searchable fields." }, "count": { "title": "Count (aggregation) field", "type": "string", "description": "Switches to openFDA COUNT mode: instead of raw records, return the frequency of values in this field as {term, count} buckets. e.g. patient.reaction.reactionmeddrapt.exact (top reactions), classification (recalls by class), openfda.manufacturer_name.exact. Leave empty for normal record mode. Append .exact to count whole phrases." }, "sort": { "title": "Sort", "type": "string", "description": "Sort results by a field, e.g. receivedate:desc, decision_date:desc, report_date:asc. Only applies in record mode (not count mode). Leave empty for the API default order." }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max results", "minimum": 1, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of records (or count buckets) to return. Record mode paginates automatically at up to 1000 per request. Note: openFDA caps deep paging at skip=25000 — for very large pulls, use a date-range search + sort to window through the data.", "default": 100 }, "skip": { "title": "Skip (offset)", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 25000, "type": "integer", "description": "Starting offset into the result set (record mode only). openFDA caps skip at 25000. Usually leave at 0 and use maxResults; set this only to resume a large pull.", "default": 0 }, "apiKey": { "title": "openFDA API key (optional)", "type": "string", "description": "Optional free openFDA API key (get one at https://open.fda.gov/apis/authentication/). Raises the rate limit from 40 req/min & 1,000/day to 240 req/min & 120,000/day. Not required — the API works without it." } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```