# openFDA API — drug labels, recalls & adverse events (no key) (`synthetic.ia/openfda-drugs`) Actor

FDA data via openFDA: drug labeling (uses, warnings, dosage), drug/food/device recalls, and drug adverse-event reports. Search by name or advanced query. Clean HTTP API + MCP, no key. Pay per query.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/synthetic.ia/openfda-drugs.md
- **Developed by:** [Synthetic](https://apify.com/synthetic.ia) (community)
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.50 / 1,000 fda queries

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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 labels, recalls & adverse events (no key)

FDA drug, food and device data via **openFDA**, behind a clean HTTP API (and MCP tool). Look up **drug labeling** (uses, warnings, dosage, ingredients), **recalls** for drugs/food/devices, and **drug adverse-event reports** — reshaped from openFDA's huge raw records into the fields you actually need. Search by a simple name or an advanced openFDA query. **No API key.** Pay per query.

- 💊 **Drug label** — brand/generic names, purpose, indications, warnings, dosage, active/inactive ingredients.
- ⚠️ **Recalls** — drug, food and device enforcement reports: classification, reason, recalling firm, dates, distribution.
- 🧾 **Adverse events** — compact drug safety reports: reactions, drugs, seriousness, patient age/sex, country.
- 🔎 **Simple or advanced** — a plain term (`"advil"`) or a raw openFDA query (`openfda.generic_name:ibuprofen`).
- 💵 Pay per query · no key · official FDA data.

### The use case it was built for

Pharmacies, health apps, compliance teams and agents need FDA facts without parsing openFDA's sprawling JSON. This actor returns clean, compact records: "what are the warnings for ibuprofen?", "any Class I recalls for this device?", "recent adverse events for this drug?".

### Sample output (`drug-recalls`, q="metformin")

```json
{
  "ok": true, "area": "drug", "type": "enforcement", "total": 42, "count": 1,
  "results": [
    { "status": "Ongoing", "classification": "Class II", "product": "Metformin HCl ER Tablets…",
      "reason": "Presence of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) above the acceptable limit",
      "recallingFirm": "…", "initiated": "2020-06-01", "state": "NJ", "country": "United States" }
  ]
}
```

### How to use

- **HTTP API (Standby):** POST or GET `/drug-label`, `/drug-recalls`, `/drug-events`, `/food-recalls`, `/device-recalls`. `GET /` returns help.
- **Normal run:** pass `{ operation, q }` (or `search`); results land in the dataset + key-value store.
- **MCP tool:** expose it to your agent via Apify's MCP server.

### Input

- **operation** — `drug-label` · `drug-recalls` · `drug-events` · `food-recalls` · `device-recalls`.
- **q** — a simple term (name/product/ingredient). **search** — an advanced openFDA query (overrides `q`).
- **limit / skip** — page size (≤50) and offset.

### Pricing

**Per query** from **$0.006** (down to $0.002 on higher tiers). One call = one query.

### Related Actors

- **[Open Food Facts Nutrition](https://apify.com/synthetic.ia/openfoodfacts-nutrition)** — barcode → nutrition facts.

### FAQ

**Is this medical advice?** No — it returns official FDA records as-is, for information only.

**Do I need a key?** No. openFDA is keyless (rate-limited); heavy users can add an FDA key later.

**Why are records shorter than raw openFDA?** They're reshaped to the useful fields; use `search` for advanced queries.

### Notes & limits

Data from openFDA (api.fda.gov). Coverage is mostly US. Adverse-event reports are unverified submissions — presence of a report does not imply causation.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/synthetic.ia/openfda-drugs/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `operation` (type: `string`):

What to look up.

## `q` (type: `string`):

Simple term (brand/generic name, product, ingredient), e.g. "advil", "metformin", "peanut butter".

## `search` (type: `string`):

Raw openFDA search, e.g. openfda.generic\_name:ibuprofen or classification:"Class I". Overrides the simple term.

## `limit` (type: `integer`):

Max results (1-50).

## `skip` (type: `integer`):

Offset for pagination (0-25000).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "operation": "drug-label",
  "q": "ibuprofen",
  "limit": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `result` (type: `string`):

No description

## `runs` (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 = {
    "q": "ibuprofen"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("synthetic.ia/openfda-drugs").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 = { "q": "ibuprofen" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("synthetic.ia/openfda-drugs").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 '{
  "q": "ibuprofen"
}' |
apify call synthetic.ia/openfda-drugs --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/48c6sSKdzeGq1bk5v/builds/AzTDSlcEfoS4zT563/openapi.json