DailyMed: Drug Search¶
Queries the U.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed API for drug information. Supports searching by NDC code, drug name, SPL set ID, or active ingredient. Returns raw JSON results, a human-readable summary, and the total result count.
Usage¶
Use this node when you need authoritative drug label information, product details, active ingredients, dosage forms, and manufacturer metadata from DailyMed. Typical workflows include: validating a drug by NDC, exploring products by brand/generic name, retrieving a specific SPL by set ID, or compiling products that contain a given active ingredient.
Inputs¶
| Field | Required | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| search_type | True | CHOICE | The search mode. Supported options: ndc (product NDC), drug_name (brand/generic), set_id (SPL set ID), ingredient (active ingredient). | drug_name |
| query | True | STRING | The query string to search for. Interpretation depends on search_type (e.g., an NDC like 0378-6015-10, a drug name like ibuprofen, an SPL set ID GUID, or an ingredient like acetaminophen). | ibuprofen |
| limit | True | INT | Maximum number of results to return. Applies to ndc, drug_name, and ingredient searches. | 10 |
| exact_match | False | BOOLEAN | If true, requests exact matching for drug_name and ingredient searches. Not applicable to ndc or set_id searches. | False |
| include_inactive | False | BOOLEAN | Intended to include inactive products. Note: This parameter is currently not used by the search and has no effect. | False |
Outputs¶
| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| results_json | STRING | Raw DailyMed results as a JSON string. For ndc, drug_name, and ingredient searches this is a JSON array; for set_id it is a single item wrapped into an array when present. If an error occurs, returns a JSON object with an "error" key. | [{"title":"IBUPROFEN","setid":"abcd-1234-...","openfda":{"brand_name":["IBUPROFEN"]}}] |
| formatted_results | STRING | A readable, multi-line summary of key fields (title, set ID, brand/generic names, manufacturer, active ingredients, NDCs, dosage form, and route). If no results, returns "No results found". If an error occurs, returns a message starting with "Error:". | DailyMed Search Results (Drug Name) ================================================== 1. Title: IBUPROFEN Set ID: abcd-1234-... Brand Name: IBUPROFEN Generic Name: ibuprofen Manufacturer: Example Pharma Active Ingredients: Ibuprofen NDC Codes: 12345-6789-01... |
| result_count | INT | The number of results returned. Zero when no results or when an error is encountered. | 5 |
Important Notes¶
- Search types: ndc, drug_name, set_id, ingredient. Exact matching applies only to drug_name and ingredient.
- NDC input: Hyphens and spaces are stripped before querying. Provide a 10- or 11-digit NDC (e.g., 0378-6015-10).
- Limits: The limit parameter is honored for list endpoints and capped at 100.
- Set ID retrieval: The set_id search returns a single record (if found) and is wrapped in an array for output consistency.
- Error handling: On failure, results_json contains an object like {"error": "..."}, formatted_results begins with "Error:", and result_count is 0.
- Network behavior: Uses HTTPS calls to DailyMed services with a 30-second timeout per request.
- Inactive products: The include_inactive input is currently not used by the underlying requests and has no effect.
Troubleshooting¶
- No results returned: Verify spelling and try without exact_match. For NDC, ensure the code is valid (10 or 11 digits after removing hyphens).
- Error: Unsupported search type: Use one of the supported values: ndc, drug_name, set_id, ingredient.
- HTTP or timeout errors: Check network connectivity, try again later, or reduce limit. DailyMed may be experiencing service issues or rate limiting.
- Set ID not found: Confirm the SPL set ID is correct (typically a GUID).
- Unexpected output fields: DailyMed responses can vary; some fields (e.g., strength, dosage_form, route) may be absent depending on the product.