RxNorm Approximate Match¶
Finds approximate RxNorm matches for a free-text term (e.g., misspelled or partial drug names). It returns a JSON string containing the search term and the API's match results, along with a status message indicating success or error.
Usage¶
Use this node when you have a non-standard or potentially misspelled drug term and need to identify likely RxNorm concepts. Typical workflow: provide a user-entered term, get approximate matches, then pass the resulting JSON to downstream nodes or logic to select a specific RxCUI for further lookups.
Inputs¶
| Field | Required | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| term | True | STRING | The free-text drug term to match (supports partial or misspelled names). | acetominophen |
Outputs¶
| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| approximate_matches | STRING | A JSON string with the search term and the approximate match results from RxNorm. | { "search_term": "acetominophen", "results": { "approximateGroup": { "candidate": [ { "rxcui": "161", "score": "100", "rxnormId": "161", "name": "Acetaminophen" } ] } } } |
| status | STRING | Status message indicating success or describing the error encountered. | Successfully retrieved approximate matches for 'acetominophen' |
Important Notes¶
- Input validation: An empty term returns "{}" for approximate_matches and "Error: Term cannot be empty" as status.
- Output format: approximate_matches is a JSON string. Parse it downstream to access fields like candidates, names, or RxCUIs.
- API errors: If the external service returns an error, the node returns the error JSON and a status starting with "API Error:".
- Default behavior: If no input is provided, the default term is "acetaminophen".
- Variability: The structure inside results may vary based on the external API; always check keys like approximateGroup/candidate before accessing.
Troubleshooting¶
- Empty input returns an error: Provide a non-empty term. The node will not proceed with blank input.
- No matches found: The results array may be empty. Try a more general term or a correct spelling.
- Parsing issues downstream: Ensure you parse the approximate_matches string as JSON before accessing fields.
- API Error status: Network or service issues will produce a status like "API Error: ...". Retry later or verify connectivity.
- Unexpected results structure: The external API may change response shapes. Add defensive checks when extracting candidates and IDs.