# openFDA Drug Data Scraper (`vxc1104/openfda-drug-scraper`) Actor

Search FDA drug label data (brand, generic, manufacturer, ingredients, warnings) via the official openFDA API.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/vxc1104/openfda-drug-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Vincent Krüger](https://apify.com/vxc1104) (community)
- **Categories:**
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$2.00 / 1,000 resluts

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?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## openFDA Drug Data Scraper

Search **FDA drug label data** — brand and generic names, manufacturer, active ingredients, route, purpose and warnings — via the official openFDA API.

### What it does

Turn an openFDA search query into clean, structured drug records. Built for pharma research, healthcare tools, and compliance/monitoring pipelines.

### Example output

```json
{
  "id": "abc-123",
  "brandName": "Aspirin",
  "genericName": "ASPIRIN",
  "manufacturer": "Bayer HealthCare LLC",
  "route": "ORAL",
  "productType": "HUMAN OTC DRUG",
  "substanceName": "ASPIRIN",
  "purpose": "Pain reliever",
  "indications": "...",
  "warnings": "..."
}
```

### Input

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `search` | openFDA `field:value` query, e.g. `openfda.brand_name:aspirin`. |
| `maxItems` | Hard cap on records returned (cost protection). |

### Pricing

Pay per result. **1,000 drug records ≈ $2** (see the pricing tab). You are only charged for records actually returned.

### Legal

Uses the public openFDA API (US FDA open data). No login or paywall is bypassed. This is label/reference data, not personal health data.

### Support

Issues answered within **12 hours** — include your input and run ID.

# Actor input Schema

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

openFDA search expression over drug labels. For an AI agent: use field:value syntax, e.g. "openfda.brand\_name:aspirin" or "openfda.manufacturer\_name:pfizer". See open.fda.gov.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap on the number of drug records returned (cost protection).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "search": "openfda.brand_name:aspirin",
  "maxItems": 1000
}
```

# Actor output Schema

# 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 = {
    "search": "openfda.brand_name:aspirin"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("vxc1104/openfda-drug-scraper").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 = { "search": "openfda.brand_name:aspirin" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("vxc1104/openfda-drug-scraper").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 '{
  "search": "openfda.brand_name:aspirin"
}' |
apify call vxc1104/openfda-drug-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,vxc1104/openfda-drug-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

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/ylavCRhPQISOGKuWg/builds/O10je9YcPVzSl9JLL/openapi.json