# openFDA API - Drug & Device Recalls, Adverse Events, Labels (`pushbuild/openfda`) Actor

Search official FDA data: drug approvals (Drugs@FDA), drug, device and food recalls, drug and device adverse event reports, drug labels and the NDC directory. Filter by product, company and date, or get counts such as the top reported reactions for a drug.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/pushbuild/openfda.md
- **Developed by:** [Pushbuild Data](https://apify.com/pushbuild) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Lead generation, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$0.50 / 1,000 records

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

## openFDA API - Drug & Device Recalls, Adverse Events, Labels

Official FDA data as clean, flattened JSON.

### Datasets

- **Drug, device and food recalls**: class, reason, firm, product, quantity, distribution, dates and status.
- **Drug adverse events (FAERS)**: seriousness, outcomes, patient age and sex, reactions, suspect and concomitant drugs.
- **Device adverse events (MAUDE)**: event type, device, manufacturer, product and patient problems, narrative.
- **Drug labels**: indications, dosage, contraindications, boxed warning, adverse reactions, interactions.
- **NDC directory**: products, labelers, ingredients, packages and marketing dates.

### Filters

Product, company, date range and recall class, or a raw openFDA search. Set **countBy** to get aggregates, such as the most reported reactions for a drug.

### Uses

Pharmacovigilance, recall monitoring, competitive intelligence, compliance and med-tech sales research. Pay per record.

# Actor input Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

Which FDA dataset to search.

## `product` (type: `string`):

Drug, device or product name.

## `company` (type: `string`):

Recalling firm, manufacturer or labeler.

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

YYYY-MM-DD.

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

YYYY-MM-DD.

## `recallClass` (type: `string`):

Recalls only.

## `countBy` (type: `string`):

"default" for a sensible count per dataset (e.g. top reactions for a drug), or any openFDA .exact field. Leave empty to list records.

## `rawSearch` (type: `string`):

Advanced: an openFDA search expression; overrides the fields above.

## `sort` (type: `string`):

Order of records.

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

Records (or count rows) to return.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "dataset": "drugRecalls",
  "product": "metformin",
  "recallClass": "",
  "sort": "newest",
  "maxResults": 100
}
```

# 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 = {
    "product": "metformin"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("pushbuild/openfda").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 = { "product": "metformin" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("pushbuild/openfda").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 '{
  "product": "metformin"
}' |
apify call pushbuild/openfda --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/bgTW4MmXJrafNC41J/builds/yc4Du3Ie2UvpCOpuv/openapi.json