DailyMed: NDC Lookup¶
Looks up a specific NDC (National Drug Code) in the DailyMed database, optionally validating format beforehand. Returns the raw product record as JSON, a readable summary, and a boolean indicating whether the lookup succeeded.
Usage¶
Use this node when you have an NDC and need to retrieve authoritative product details such as title, brand/generic names, manufacturer, active ingredients, dosage form, strength, and optional packaging info. It fits into workflows that validate user-entered NDCs, enrich medication data, or display concise drug summaries in apps or reports.
Inputs¶
| Field | Required | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ndc_code | True | STRING | The NDC to look up. Hyphens and spaces are allowed and will be normalized. | 0378-6015-10 |
| validate_format | False | BOOLEAN | If true, checks that the NDC is 10 or 11 digits after removing hyphens/spaces before querying. | true |
| include_package_info | False | BOOLEAN | If true, includes a brief list of package descriptions and package NDCs in the formatted output. | true |
Outputs¶
| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| product_info | STRING | Raw product data as a JSON string returned from the DailyMed service. Contains fields such as title, setid, openfda metadata, active_ingredient, dosage_form, route, strength, product_ndc, and packaging (when available). | {"title": "Example Drug", "setid": "xxxxx-xxxxx", "openfda": {"brand_name": ["Brand"], "manufacturer_name": ["Company"]}, "active_ingredient": ["ingredient"], "dosage_form": ["tablet"], "strength": ["500 mg"], "product_ndc": ["12345-6789"], "packaging": [{"description": "bottle of 100 tablets", "package_ndc": "12345-6789-10"}]} |
| formatted_info | STRING | Human-readable summary of the product, including product title, brand/generic names, manufacturer, active ingredients, dosage form, strength, and (optionally) up to the first three packaging lines. | NDC Product Information\n==============================\nProduct: Example Drug\nBrand: Brand\nGeneric: Generic Name\nManufacturer: Company\nActive Ingredients: ingredient\nStrength: 500 mg\nDosage Form: tablet\n\nPackaging Information:\n - bottle of 100 tablets (NDC: 12345-6789-10) |
| is_valid | BOOLEAN | Indicates whether the NDC passed format validation (if enabled) and a corresponding product was found. | true |
Important Notes¶
- Format validation: When enabled, the node treats NDCs as valid if they are 10 or 11 digits after removing hyphens/spaces. If invalid, no network request is made and is_valid will be false.
- Normalization: Hyphens and spaces in the NDC are removed before searching.
- Not found behavior: If no product matches the NDC, product_info contains an error JSON, formatted_info explains that nothing was found, and is_valid is false.
- Packaging details: When include_package_info is true, the formatted output lists up to the first three package entries, if any exist.
- Network dependency: This node requires network access to the DailyMed service; latency or outages may affect results.
- Data variability: Some fields (e.g., strength, dosage_form, route, openfda metadata) may be missing or be lists depending on the product record.
Troubleshooting¶
- Invalid NDC format reported: Ensure the NDC is 10 or 11 digits when hyphens/spaces are removed (e.g., 5-4-2 or 4-4-2 patterns). You can disable validate_format to still attempt a lookup.
- NDC not found: Confirm the code is correct and active. Try removing hyphens or using an alternative code variant, or check if the product is present in the DailyMed database.
- Network or timeout errors: Retry later, verify internet connectivity, or reduce request frequency to avoid rate limiting.
- Missing fields in output: Some records may not include all attributes (e.g., strength or packaging). Check product_info JSON for available fields.
- Unexpected formatted output: Set include_package_info to false if you want a shorter summary, or inspect product_info to confirm the underlying data.