Drug Classes¶
Retrieves drug classification information for a given RxNorm Concept Unique Identifier (RXCUI). You can optionally filter the results by a specific classification system. Returns the raw classification data as a JSON string along with a status message.
Usage¶
Use this node when you have an RXCUI for a drug and need to see its associated classes (e.g., ATC classes). Commonly, you first resolve a drug name or NDC to an RXCUI using an RxNorm lookup node, then pass that RXCUI here to fetch its classifications. Set a specific classification system to narrow results or use the default to retrieve all available classes.
Inputs¶
| Field | Required | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rxcui | True | STRING | The RxNorm Concept Unique Identifier for the drug whose classes you want to retrieve. | 83367 |
| classification_system | True | CHOICE | The classification system to filter results by. If set to ALL, returns classes from all supported systems. | ALL |
Outputs¶
| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| drug_classes | STRING | A JSON string containing the RXCUI, the selected classification system, and the classes returned by the service. | { "rxcui": "83367", "classification_system": "ALL", "classes": { ... } } |
| status | STRING | A human-readable status message indicating success or describing an error. | Successfully retrieved drug classes for RXCUI 83367 |
Important Notes¶
- Input validation: The RXCUI must be a non-empty string; an empty value will return an error status.
- Filtering: Set classification_system to ALL to return classes across all supported systems, or choose a specific system to narrow results.
- Output format: The primary output is a JSON string. Downstream nodes expecting structured data should parse this string.
- Error handling: If the underlying service returns an error, the first output will contain a JSON error payload and the status will include an error message.
- Rate limits and availability: Results depend on availability and responsiveness of the underlying RxNorm/RxClass service; network errors may occur.
Troubleshooting¶
- Empty or invalid RXCUI: If status reports 'Error: RXCUI cannot be empty' or results are empty, verify the RXCUI was resolved correctly from a prior step.
- No classes returned: Ensure the RXCUI corresponds to a clinical drug concept that is classifiable. Try switching classification_system to ALL.
- API Error in status: The status may include 'API Error: ...'. Inspect the first output JSON for details and retry later in case of transient service issues.
- Unexpected classification_system behavior: If filtering yields no results, confirm the selected classification system is supported and correctly spelled. Try ALL to validate baseline results.
- Downstream parsing failures: If a subsequent node fails, ensure you parse the 'drug_classes' JSON string into structured data before further processing.