RxNorm Related Concepts¶
Fetches concepts related to a given RxNorm concept (RxCUI) by a specified relationship type. Returns a JSON-formatted string containing the input RXCUI, the relationship type used, and the related concept data, along with a status message describing the outcome.
Usage¶
Use this node when you have an RxCUI and need to explore its relationships (e.g., ingredients, brand/tradename, dose form) to other RxNorm concepts. Typical workflow: search or look up an RxCUI, then supply it here with a relationship type to expand or navigate the concept graph for analysis or downstream filtering.
Inputs¶
| Field | Required | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rxcui | True | STRING | The RxNorm Concept Unique Identifier to query. Must be a single RxCUI string. | 313 |
| relationship_type | True | STRING | The relationship to follow from the given RxCUI. Examples include has_precise_ingredient, contains, ingredient_of, dose_form_of, tradename_of, etc. Must be a valid RxNorm relationship type. | has_precise_ingredient |
Outputs¶
| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| related_concepts | STRING | JSON-formatted string with the RXCUI, the relationship type, and the related concept data returned by the RxNorm service. | { "rxcui": "313", "relationship_type": "has_precise_ingredient", "data": { "relatedGroup": { /* ... RxNorm response ... */ } } } |
| status | STRING | Human-readable message indicating success or the type of error encountered. | Successfully retrieved has_precise_ingredient for RXCUI 313 |
Important Notes¶
- Input validation: An empty RXCUI returns an error; ensure the RXCUI is a non-empty string.
- Relationship types: Only valid RxNorm relationship types will return data. Invalid values typically result in an API error message in the output.
- Output format: The related_concepts output is a JSON string; parse it downstream if you need to access fields programmatically.
- Error propagation: If the underlying service reports an error, the error details are included within the JSON output and reflected in the status.
- Performance: Large or complex relationships may return sizable JSON responses; plan downstream handling accordingly.
Troubleshooting¶
- Empty output or '{}': Verify the RXCUI is correct and not empty. Some concepts may not have results for the chosen relationship type.
- API Error in status: Check the relationship_type spelling and that it is supported by RxNorm. Retry later if the service is temporarily unavailable.
- JSON parsing failures downstream: Ensure you are parsing the related_concepts output as JSON text. If your tool expects an object, convert the string to an object first.
- Unexpected data shape: Relationship responses can vary by type. Inspect the JSON structure to confirm paths before assuming specific fields.