Drug Class Analysis¶
Runs a full drug classification workflow: normalizes a drug identifier to an RxCUI, retrieves drug class memberships across selected classification systems, and optionally adds mechanism-of-action context. Returns JSON-formatted classification results, mechanism data (if requested), and a human-readable status.
Usage¶
Use this node when you have a drug name or NDC and need to understand its therapeutic classes and optionally the mechanism of action. Typical workflow: provide a drug identifier, choose the identifier type (drug name or NDC), select a classification system scope (e.g., ATC or ALL), and decide whether to include mechanism data. The outputs can feed downstream analytics, UI display, or further filtering.
Inputs¶
| Field | Required | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| drug_identifier | True | STRING | The drug to analyze, specified by a common name (e.g., atorvastatin) or an NDC code. | atorvastatin |
| identifier_type | True | CHOICE | Select whether the input is a drug_name or an ndc. | drug_name |
| classification_system | True | CHOICE | Which classification source(s) to return. Supports multiple RxClass sources; use ALL to include all supported systems. | ALL |
| include_mechanism | True | BOOLEAN | If true, include mechanism-of-action data in the output. | true |
Outputs¶
| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| drug_classifications | STRING | A JSON string summarizing the RxCUI, classification entries, and a brief summary (e.g., total classes, systems encountered). | { "drug_identifier": "atorvastatin", "rxcui": "83367", "classifications": [ { "class_id": "C123", "class_name": "HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors", "class_type": "ATC" } ], "summary": { "total_classes": 1, "classification_systems": ["ATC"], "therapeutic_categories": ["HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors"] } } |
| mechanism_data | STRING | A JSON string with mechanism-of-action data for the RxCUI (when requested), including notes on data coverage. | { "rxcui": "83367", "mechanism_analysis": { }, "note": "Mechanism of action data may require integration with additional databases like DrugBank or MeSH" } |
| status | STRING | A human-readable status message indicating success or a failure reason. | Successfully analyzed drug classes for atorvastatin (RXCUI: 83367) |
Important Notes¶
- Identifier type: Set identifier_type to either "drug_name" or "ndc" to match how you provide drug_identifier.
- Classification scope: classification_system supports multiple sources (e.g., ATC, MEDRT, RXNORM, VA, SNOMEDCT, etc.). Use "ALL" to include all supported systems.
- Mechanism data coverage: Mechanism-of-action information may be limited and is noted as potentially requiring external sources; the returned section can be empty or minimal.
- Normalization required: If the drug cannot be normalized to an RxCUI, outputs will be empty JSON strings and the status will describe the failure.
- Output format: All outputs are strings containing JSON; parse them downstream if structured access is required.
Troubleshooting¶
- Empty or invalid identifier: If status reports failure to get RxCUI, verify drug_identifier spelling for drug_name or provide a valid NDC format (e.g., "00000-0000-00").
- No classes returned: Some drugs or identifiers may not map to classes in selected systems. Try setting classification_system to "ALL".
- Mechanism data is empty: Not all drugs have mechanism data from the underlying source. This is expected; consider alternate databases if needed.
- API/Network errors: If status mentions an API error, retry later or validate network connectivity and service availability.
- Case sensitivity: If filtering by a specific system yields no results unexpectedly, reselect the system from the provided choices to avoid case or value mismatches.