New Zealand Medsafe Recalls Scraper

🛡️ New Zealand Medsafe Recalls Scraper

Scrape New Zealand Medsafe medicine and device recalls: product, sponsor, reason and recall date. Run it once and you get the current records as a dataset — that is the default. Turn on watch mode and a scheduled run returns only what changed since the last run (see Optional: run it on a schedule). Built by NexGen Watch on Apify.

New Zealand medicine and medical-device recall actions from the Medsafe Online Recalls Database: commencement date, product and the recall action type, keyed on the recall action id PLUS the product, because one action routinely covers several products. LISTING SCOPE: the recall detail page is not opened.

Output is one recall_record row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one recall delta (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.05 per recall delta plus one $0.10 source check per run that reads the source). Source: www.medsafe.govt.nz.

No login, no API key and no CAPTCHA solving are involved: the source is read logged-out with an identified contact User-Agent.

Who buys this

Buyers usually search for Medsafe recalls or New Zealand medicine recalls.

• Regulatory-affairs, quality and product-safety teams monitoring Medsafe recalls.
• Distributors, retailers and supply-chain risk teams checking New Zealand medicine recalls.
• Analysts and consultants tracking approvals, recalls and alerts in their market.

📊 Sample Output

Real rows from run MndW79a1ehPgRpitp on build 0.1.26 (2026-09-28), the same input as the Quick start below — every value is as the source published it (emails masked, long text shortened):

recall_action_id	product	commenced	commenced_iso	action_type
37474	Carestation 850 and 850c Anesthesia Systems	7/9/2026	2026-09-07	Software to be upgraded
37490	VentStar Resus Neonatal Circuit (for use with the Resuscitaire)	7/9/2026	2026-09-07	Product to be destroyed
37492	Philips CT Areta/Rembra systems	7/9/2026	2026-09-07	Software to be upgraded
37495	Intelerad InteleradPACS - InteleConnect Portal / TechPortal Version	7/9/2026	2026-09-07	Manufacturer to issue advice regarding use
37339	Clearview hCG Cassette and Innovacon hCG One Step Pregnancy Test Devic	2/9/2026	2026-09-02	Instructions for use to be updated
37451	DxC 500i Clinical Analyzer	2/9/2026	2026-09-02	Software to be upgraded
37433	CST - NAV - Surgical Procedure Kit, general purpose	1/9/2026	2026-09-01	Product to be returned to supplier
37433	NAV- Passive Spheres	1/9/2026	2026-09-01	Product to be returned to supplier

The run finished with the status message: NORMAL: emitted 10 item(s)

✅ What you get

One row per record delivered by New Zealand Medsafe Recall Watch; in watch mode a delta row carries delta_type, before, after and changed_fields. Field names come from the actor's real output; fields the source does not publish are null.

Each row is flat JSON with these fields (from the dataset schema and the sample run; a field the source does not publish for a given row is null):

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. medsafe:37474:Carestation 850 and 850c Anesthesia Systems
• recall_action_id (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. 37474
• product (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. Carestation 850 and 850c Anesthesia Systems
• commenced (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. 7/9/2026
• commenced_iso (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. 2026-09-07
• action_type (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. Software to be upgraded
• source_url (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/hot/Recalls/RecallDetail.asp?ID=37474
• scope_note (string/number/integer/boolean/null) — e.g. listing fields only; the recall detail page is not opened
• record_type (string) — e.g. recall_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• before (object/array/string/number/integer/boolean/null) — null in every sample row
• after (object/array/string/number/integer/boolean/null) — null in every sample row
• changed_fields (array/object/string/null) — null in every sample row
• observed_at (string/null) — null in every sample row

✅ What you get

✅ What you get

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. medsafe:37474:Carestation 850 and 850c Anesthesia Systems
• recall_action_id — e.g. 37474
• product — e.g. Carestation 850 and 850c Anesthesia Systems
• commenced — e.g. 7/9/2026
• commenced_iso — e.g. 2026-09-07
• action_type — e.g. Software to be upgraded
• source_url — e.g. https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/hot/Recalls/RecallDetail.asp?ID=37474
• scope_note — e.g. listing fields only; the recall detail page is not opened
• record_type (string) — e.g. recall_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row

Every run also writes a RUN_RECEIPT record to its key-value store with the source checks it made and the counts it charged — diagnostics never land in the paid dataset.

⚙️ Sample inputs

1. Quick start — the Store example (this is what the sample above came from)

{
  "days_back": 30,
  "product_contains": [],
  "watch_mode": false,
  "baseline_id": "default",
  "max_items": 10
}

The sample run charged exactly: 1 × $0.02 apify-actor-start + 1 × $0.10 source-check + 0 × $0.05 recall-delta = $0.12 on the Free tier — snapshot preview rows are delivered unbilled; only the source check and the start fee were charged.

2. A smaller, narrowed run

{
  "days_back": 30,
  "product_contains": [],
  "watch_mode": false,
  "baseline_id": "default",
  "max_items": 5
}

Caps the run at 5 rows; same billing shape as the sample run above.

3. Optional watch mode (changes only, for a schedule)

{
  "days_back": 30,
  "product_contains": [],
  "watch_mode": true,
  "baseline_id": "default",
  "max_items": 10
}

The first run seeds a private baseline and emits zero deltas; every later run emits one row per change, billed at $0.05 each plus the $0.10 source check; billed deltas are capped at 500 per run.

🧾 JSON sample record

One real record from run MndW79a1ehPgRpitp, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "record_key": "medsafe:37474:Carestation 850 and 850c Anesthesia Systems",
  "recall_action_id": "37474",
  "product": "Carestation 850 and 850c Anesthesia Systems",
  "commenced": "7/9/2026",
  "commenced_iso": "2026-09-07",
  "action_type": "Software to be upgraded",
  "source_url": "https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/hot/Recalls/RecallDetail.asp?ID=37474",
  "scope_note": "listing fields only; the recall detail page is not opened",
  "record_type": "recall_record",
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "output_mode": "preview",
  "preview_cap": 25,
  "preview_truncated": 0
}

🔧 How it works

Source. The actor reads www.medsafe.govt.nz — endpoints: https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/hot/Recalls/, https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/hot/Recalls/RecallSearch.asp. Public pages and feeds only; nothing behind a login.

Transport. Plain HTTPS from the Apify platform, no proxy. Every request carries an identified contact User-Agent.

Watch semantics. Snapshot mode (watch_mode: false) returns a preview capped at 25 records. Watch mode keys every record on a source-native id, stores a private baseline in a named key-value store, and on each later run emits one delta row per change (new / changed / removed). A blocked fetch is never diffed, so a source outage cannot show up as a mass removal.

Terminal states. A run ends NORMAL, CAPPED (your cap was reached), PARTIAL (something was withheld and the message says what), GENUINE_EMPTY (the source was read and truly had nothing in scope) or BLOCKED (the source refused or changed shape — the run FAILS loud and bills nothing). A zero-row run is never reported as a silent success.

Charging. Each recall delta is charged at the moment it is pushed (recall-delta); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count. One source-check is charged per run that actually read the source.

🔧 How it works

🔧 How it works

Source

Medsafe Online Recalls Database search (public, logged-out)

• https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/hot/Recalls/RecallSearch.asp

Public, logged-out only — no API key, login, cookie or CAPTCHA.

Snapshot mode is a PREVIEW

watch_mode: false returns at most 25 records, hard-capped in code regardless of max_items, labeled output_mode: "preview". This cell sells change detection, not bulk record export.

Watch semantics

First watch run stores a private baseline and emits zero deltas. Later runs emit NEW / CHANGED / REMOVED keyed on the source-native id with before / after and changed_fields.

Source cadence

Medsafe posts recall actions as they are initiated — 13 rows fell in the 1–25 July 2026 window on the measured date. The database covers actions from 1 July 2012 onward.

Terminal states

NORMAL · SUCCEEDED-0: GENUINE_EMPTY · SUCCEEDED-0 (no change) · PARTIAL · BLOCKED. A zero with no evidence FAILS loud rather than exiting 0 quietly.

What is not done. No login, no cookie or CAPTCHA bypass, no private or personal-account data, no browser automation.

⏰ Optional: run it on a schedule

A single run returns the current records. If you also want to be told what changed over time, open the actor in Apify Console → Schedules → Create new, add this actor with the watch-mode input above (watch_mode: true) so each run returns only the changes, and pick a cadence:

• Daily — 0 7 * * * (07:00 UTC): catch changes within a day.
• Weekly — 0 7 * * 1: a Monday digest.

The baseline persists in a named key-value store between runs, so every scheduled run compares against the last one; use a different baseline_id for independent watches. Schedules can also POST results to a webhook (Console → Integrations).

💰 Pricing example

Event	Free	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Actor Start (apify-actor-start)	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02
Source check (source-check)	$0.10	$0.09	$0.08	$0.067
Recall Delta (recall-delta)	$0.05	$0.045	$0.04	$0.0335

Worked at the live Free-tier price (watch mode, one delta per change):

• 8 recall deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 8 × $0.05 = $0.52
• 25 recall deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 25 × $0.05 = $1.37
• 500 recall deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 500 × $0.05 = $25.12

A run that delivers zero rows charges the $0.02 start fee plus the $0.10 source check (the source was read and reported empty). A BLOCKED run (source refused) fails loud and charges no value event. The start fee is charged once per GB of run memory; the default run memory is 1024 MB.

Yield on the sample run: NORMAL: emitted 10 item(s). max_items is a hard ceiling on what is delivered and billed, never a target. Snapshot output is capped at 25 records regardless of the cap you set; watch mode is the full feed.

⚖️ Legal & ToS

This actor reads public, logged-out pages and feeds published by www.medsafe.govt.nz. It collects only what the source publishes to any visitor, identifies itself with a contact User-Agent, and does not access accounts, private data or anything behind authentication. Use the output in line with the source's terms and your local law; the intended use is B2B research and monitoring.

❓ FAQ

Q: Do I need an API key or a login?
A: No. The source (www.medsafe.govt.nz) is read logged-out; the input schema has no key field and the actor carries no secrets.

Q: Why did my run return 0 rows?
A: Read the run's status message. GENUINE_EMPTY means the source was read and had nothing in scope for your input (in watch mode the first run always seeds the baseline and returns zero deltas); BLOCKED means the source refused and the run failed without billing a value event — retry later or narrow the input. A zero-row run bills the start fee plus one source check.

Q: How many rows can one run return?
A: Up to max_items (default 500); snapshot previews stop at 25. Raise the cap for a bigger run; you pay per delivered row.

Q: What does watch mode remember between runs?
A: A private baseline of source-native record ids in a named key-value store (baseline_id names it, so several independent watches can coexist). Each later run diffs the live source against it and emits only changes.

Q: How fresh is the data?
A: Every run reads the source live at run time; nothing is cached between runs except the watch baseline. Put it on a schedule for a continuous feed.

Q: What formats can I export?
A: The dataset downloads as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or RSS from the run's Dataset tab or the Apify API, and any run can push to a webhook or integration.

Q: How is this different from the other product safety and approvals scrapers actors?
A: Same output shape and billing model; this one covers www.medsafe.govt.nz. The siblings under Related Actors cover the other sources or slices — run several on one schedule for a combined feed.

🆘 Troubleshooting

• Run FAILED with BLOCKED → the source refused the request or changed its page shape → nothing was billed beyond the start fee; retry after a while, and if it persists open an Issue with the run id.
• Status says CAPPED → your cap (max_items) was reached → raise it for a bigger run.
• Input validation error on start → a field is outside the schema's allowed values → start from the Quick start block and change one field at a time.
• Run TIMED-OUT → a very wide request on a slow day → raise the run timeout in Run options or narrow the input; what was delivered before the timeout is still in the dataset.
• First watch run shows no deltas → expected: it seeds the baseline; changes appear from the second run.

🔗 Related Actors

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• FDA NDC Product Directory — One drug_product_record per product in the official FDA National Drug Code (NDC) Directory via openFDA — keyless, logged-out
• Japan PMDA Drug Approvals Scraper — Scrape Japan PMDA new drug approvals: product, company, indication and approval date. Every run returns the current records as a dataset. Optional wa…
• UK MHRA Medicine and Device Alerts Scraper — Scrape UK MHRA medicine and device safety alerts and recalls: product, issue, action and date. Every run returns the current records as a dataset. Op…
• US FDA Recalls Scraper - Drug, Device, Food — Scrape US FDA recalls for drugs, devices and food: product, firm, classification, reason and status. Every run returns the current records as a datas…
• 🏢 About NexGen Watch — NexGen Watch is a catalog of more than 300 public data actors built on official sources, pay-per-result. Browse the catalog at apify.com/nexgenwatch.

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