Drug Shortages: FDA Drug Shortage Database Search & Tracker

Search the official US FDA drug shortage database by generic drug name, company or therapeutic category (e.g. Oncology). Returns status, availability, shortage reason, presentation with NDC, dosage form, company, brands and posting/update dates, most recently updated first. Free CC0 openFDA data.

What does Drug Shortages do?

Search the official US FDA drug shortage list by drug, company or therapeutic area with status, availability and reason.

What can you use it for?

• Monitor current shortages of drugs your pharmacy or hospital relies on.
• Track which companies report shortages and why.
• Watch shortages in a therapeutic area such as Oncology or Anesthesia.
• Feed supply-chain and procurement dashboards.

Why use this Actor?

• Fast and cheap: lightweight HTTP-based Actor with no browser, so runs finish in seconds and cost very little.
• No API keys or accounts needed for the data source (see notes below).
• Clean, structured JSON that you can export as CSV, Excel, JSON or XML, or pull through the Apify API and integrations.
• Scheduling, webhooks and integrations: run it daily and send results to Google Sheets, Slack, Zapier, Make, n8n or your own API.

Input

Configure the run in the Input tab (all fields have sensible defaults).

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
query	string	yes	-	e.g. lidocaine, amphetamine, a company name, or a therapeutic category such as Oncology.
searchField	string (generic_name / company_name / therapeutic_category)	no	"generic_name"	Which shortage field to match.
status	string (Current / Resolved / To Be Discontinued)	no	-	Only return shortages with this status. Leave empty for all.
maxResults	integer	no	50	Maximum number of shortage entries.
apiKey	string	no	-	Free key from open.fda.gov raises the rate limit. Stored encrypted.

Example input

{
  "query": "lidocaine",
  "maxResults": 20
}

Output

Results are stored in the default dataset. Download them from the Output tab or via the API.

Example result

{
  "genericName": "Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection",
  "status": "Current",
  "availability": "Unavailable",
  "shortageReason": "Demand increase for the drug",
  "presentation": "Xylocaine, Injection, 20 mg/1 mL (NDC 63323-496-97)",
  "packageNdc": "63323-496-97",
  "dosageForm": "Injection",
  "companyName": "Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC",
  "brandNames": "XYLOCAINE MPF",
  "therapeuticCategories": "Anesthesia, Pediatric",
  "relatedInfo": "Estimated recovery: TBD",
  "resolvedNote": null,
  "contactInfo": "888-386-1300",
  "updateType": "Reverified",
  "initialPostingDate": "02/22/2012",
  "updateDate": "10/15/2026",
  "discontinuedDate": null,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-19T20:41:18.640Z"
}

Output fields

Field	Type	Example
genericName	string	"Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection"
status	string	"Current"
availability	string	"Unavailable"
shortageReason	string	"Demand increase for the drug"
presentation	string	"Xylocaine, Injection, 20 mg/1 mL (NDC 63323-496-97)"
packageNdc	string	"63323-496-97"
dosageForm	string	"Injection"
companyName	string	"Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC"
brandNames	string	"XYLOCAINE MPF"
therapeuticCategories	string	"Anesthesia, Pediatric"
relatedInfo	string	"Estimated recovery: TBD"
resolvedNote	null	null
contactInfo	string	"888-386-1300"
updateType	string	"Reverified"
initialPostingDate	string	"02/22/2012"
updateDate	string	"10/15/2026"
discontinuedDate	null	null
scrapedAt	string	"2026-10-19T20:41:18.640Z"

How much does it cost?

The Actor is billed by Apify according to the pricing shown on the Pricing tab of this page. Runs are small and fast, and the Apify Free plan includes monthly platform credits so you can try it at no cost. You can set a maximum cost per run, and the Actor stops cleanly when that limit is reached.

Notes and limitations

• Source: openFDA drug shortages endpoint (US FDA Drug Shortage Database), most recently updated first. One row per product presentation.
• Shortage reason, brand names and the resolved note are empty for many entries. Dates are MM/DD/YYYY as published by the FDA. Informational only, not medical advice.

Tips

• Start with a small test run, then scale up the input.
• Use Schedules to automate recurring runs and Webhooks or Integrations to deliver the data where you need it.
• Call the Actor from your code with the Apify API or the official JavaScript and Python clients.

FAQ

Can I use my own openFDA key?

Yes, paste it in the optional API key field for higher rate limits.

Does it include resolved shortages?

Yes. Leave the status filter empty for all, or pick Current, Resolved or To Be Discontinued.

Feedback

Found a bug or need an extra field? Open an issue from the Issues tab of this Actor and it will be looked at quickly.

More tools from the same author

• FDA Drug Label Search: Ingredients, Warnings & Indications - Search official FDA drug labels: active ingredients, indications, warnings, dosage and manufacturers.
• Medical Device Recalls: FDA Device Recall Search - Search official US FDA medical device recalls by product, reason, firm or device type with root cause and dates.