🛡️ UK MHRA Medicine and Device Alert Watch

MHRA drug and device safety alerts as published on GOV.UK: alert title, publication timestamp and summary, keyed on the source-native GOV.UK path. LISTING SCOPE: it watches the alert index. It does not open the alert page or interpret the clinical advice inside it.

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

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

📊 Sample Output

Real rows from run aijIgMfZNnvmAS68f on build 0.1.18 (2026-09-17), the same input as the Quick start below — every value is as the source published it (emails masked, long text shortened):

path	title	public_timestamp	description	document_type
/drug-device-alerts/radiofrequency-rf-safety-considerations-for-wirele	Radiofrequency (RF) Safety Considerations for Wireless Cardiotocograph	2026-09-17T12:59:57Z	The MHRA has conducted a review into the use of wireless cardiotocogra	medical_safety_alert
/drug-device-alerts/class-4-medicines-defect-notification-martindale-p	Class 4 Medicines Defect Notification: Martindale Pharmaceuticals Ltd,	2026-09-17T11:59:22Z	Martindale Pharmaceuticals has informed the MHRA of an error with the	medical_safety_alert
/drug-device-alerts/national-patient-safety-alert-patient-hoists-and-s	National Patient Safety Alert: Patient hoists and slings (all types):	2026-09-16T11:01:57Z	Fatal and serious harm continues to occur when patients fall from hois	medical_safety_alert
/drug-device-alerts/field-safety-notices-7-september-to-11-september-2	Field Safety Notices: 7 September to 11 September 2026	2026-09-14T11:25:18Z	List of Field Safety Notices from 7 September to 11 September 2026.	medical_safety_alert
/drug-device-alerts/field-safety-notices-31-august-to-4-september-2026	Field Safety Notices: 31 August to 4 September 2026	2026-09-09T13:41:45Z	List of Field Safety Notices from 31 August to 4 September 2026.	medical_safety_alert
/drug-device-alerts/field-safety-notices-24-to-28-august-2026	Field Safety Notices: 24 to 28 August 2026	2026-09-03T14:45:26Z	List of Field Safety Notices from 24 to 28 August 2026.	medical_safety_alert
/drug-device-alerts/filters-should-be-used-during-the-administration-o	Filters should be used during the administration of Parenteral Nutriti	2026-09-02T09:59:59Z	Administration of parenteral nutrition without a filter has been assoc	medical_safety_alert
/drug-device-alerts/cobalt-chrome-modular-neck-hip-replacements-risk-o	Cobalt-chrome modular neck hip replacements: risk of metal-wear effect	2026-08-26T13:01:32Z	An MHRA investigation has found increased risks of wear and corrosion	medical_safety_alert

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

✅ What you get

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. mhra:/drug-device-alerts/radiofrequency-rf-safety-considerations-for-wireless-ca
• path — e.g. /drug-device-alerts/radiofrequency-rf-safety-considerations-for-wireless-cardiot
• source_url — e.g. https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/radiofrequency-rf-safety-considerations-fo
• title — e.g. Radiofrequency (RF) Safety Considerations for Wireless Cardiotocography (CTG) Mo
• public_timestamp — e.g. 2026-09-17T12:59:57Z
• description — e.g. The MHRA has conducted a review into the use of wireless cardiotocography (CTG)
• document_type — e.g. medical_safety_alert
• scope_note — e.g. alert index fields only; the alert page is not opened
• record_type (string) — e.g. alert_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)

{
  "count": 10,
  "title_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 alert-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

{
  "count": 10,
  "title_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. Watch mode on a schedule

{
  "count": 10,
  "title_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 aijIgMfZNnvmAS68f, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "record_key": "mhra:/drug-device-alerts/radiofrequency-rf-safety-considerations-for-wireless-cardiotocography-ctg-monitoring-systems-dsi-slash-2026-slash-012",
  "path": "/drug-device-alerts/radiofrequency-rf-safety-considerations-for-wireless-cardiotocography-ctg-monitoring-systems-dsi-slash-2026-slash-012",
  "source_url": "https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/radiofrequency-rf-safety-considerations-for-wireless-cardiotocography-ctg-monitoring-systems-dsi-slash-2026-slash-012",
  "title": "Radiofrequency (RF) Safety Considerations for Wireless Cardiotocography (CTG) Monitoring Systems (DSI/2026/012)",
  "public_timestamp": "2026-09-17T12:59:57Z",
  "description": "The MHRA has conducted a review into the use of wireless cardiotocography (CTG) systems that use radiofrequency (RF) telemetry channels. Signal crossover, erroneous CTG traces and signal dropouts have been identified as patient safety risks",
  "document_type": "medical_safety_alert",
  "scope_note": "alert index fields only; the alert page is not opened",
  "record_type": "alert_record",
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "output_mode": "preview",
  "preview_cap": 25,
  "preview_truncated": 0
}

🔧 How it works

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

Charging. Each alert delta is charged at the moment it is pushed (alert-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.

Source

GOV.UK Search API, medical_safety_alert documents (public, logged-out)

• https://www.gov.uk/api/search.json?filter_content_store_document_type=medical_safety_alert

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

MHRA posts alerts on business days — 1,422 were indexed on the measured date, the newest 2026-07-23. Several can land on one day and a week can pass with none.

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.

⏰ Set it on a schedule

A single run is a snapshot. The value is the feed: open the actor in Apify Console → Schedules → Create new, add this actor with input 3 above (watch_mode: true), 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	$0.07
Alert Delta (alert-delta)	$0.05	$0.04	$0.04	$0.03

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

• 8 alert deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 8 × $0.05 = $0.52
• 25 alert deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 25 × $0.05 = $1.37
• 500 alert 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.gov.uk. 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.gov.uk) 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 watches actors?
A: Same output shape and billing model; this one covers www.gov.uk. 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

• FDA Drug Approvals (Drugs@FDA) — Clean, structured records of FDA drug approvals, sourced live from the official openFDA
• Japan PMDA New Drug Approval Watch — Japanese new-drug approvals as PMDA records them: approval date, brand name, marketing-authorisation holder with its corporate number, active ingredi…
• New Zealand Medsafe Recall Watch — New Zealand medicine and medical-device recall actions from the Medsafe Online Recalls Database: commencement date, product and the recall action typ…
• US FDA Recall Watch (Drug, Device, Food) — Snapshot or watch FDA enforcement recalls across drugs, devices, and food. Watch mode reports status/classification changes only
• 🏢 About NexGenData — NexGen Watch is NexGenData's fleet of 256 public monitoring and lookup actors built on official sources, pay-per-result. Browse the catalog at apify.com/nexgenwatch.

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