Name: DrugPricer API – FDA NDC Drug Pricing & Therapeutic Alternatives
Brand: nicheapi-llc-1
SKU: api-nicheapi-llc-1-drugpricer
Availability: InStock
Author: API Market

True Scary Stories

# DrugPricer API

## Overview

The DrugPricer API delivers real prescription drug data sourced directly from the FDA National Drug Code (NDC) Directory. It covers 50+ of the most widely prescribed drugs in the U.S. — including ibuprofen, atorvastatin, metformin, lisinopril, and others — with brand and generic pricing, manufacturer details, package specifications, and therapeutic alternative lookups by drug class. Unlike synthetic drug databases, every record in DrugPricer maps to a real FDA-registered NDC entry, making it suitable for applications where data provenance matters: pharmacy benefit management systems, formulary design tools, patient cost estimators, and healthcare transparency platforms.

## Features

*   **5 Dedicated Endpoints**: List all drugs, search by name or keyword, retrieve full drug details by NDC, get pricing for a specific NDC, and find therapeutic alternatives by drug class.
*   **NDC-Keyed Lookups**: Drug detail, pricing, and alternatives endpoints all use the FDA National Drug Code as the primary identifier, keeping your data aligned with the authoritative federal registry.
*   **Full-Text Search**: The `/drugs/search` endpoint filters across brand names, generic names, and keywords — returning matching records with full pricing context.
*   **Brand vs. Generic Pricing**: Every pricing record surfaces both brand and generic price points alongside average wholesale price (AWP) and retail estimates, enabling direct cost comparisons.
*   **Authoritative Data**: All records originate from the FDA NDC Directory — no synthetic or auto-generated data.
*   **High Availability**: A rate limit of 60 requests per minute across all plans.

## Use Cases

*   **Prescription Drug Price Transparency**: Consumer health platforms and employer benefit portals can surface real brand-vs-generic cost comparisons to help patients make informed decisions at the point of prescription — reducing out-of-pocket spend without changing clinical outcomes.
*   **Pharmacy Benefit Management & Formulary Design**: PBM platforms and health plan administrators can query therapeutic alternatives by drug class to identify lower-cost substitution candidates, build tiered formularies, and model the cost impact of generic-first policies across a covered population.
*   **Healthcare Cost Estimation**: Patient financial counseling tools and prior authorization systems can retrieve NDC-level pricing to generate accurate out-of-pocket estimates before a prescription is filled, reducing prescription abandonment.
*   **Clinical Decision Support**: Prescribing tools and EHR integrations can surface therapeutic alternative options at the point of care — giving clinicians visibility into cost-equivalent substitutions within the same drug class without leaving their workflow.
*   **Pharmaceutical Research & Market Analysis**: Researchers and consultants analyzing drug pricing trends can use the structured dataset to compare manufacturer pricing across NDC packages, track generic market penetration, and benchmark therapeutic class costs.


## API Documentation

### Base URL

All API requests for the DrugPricer API should be made to the following base URL:

```
https://prod.api.market/api/v1/nicheapi-llc-1/drugpricer
```

### Authentication

Authentication is handled via an API key. You must include your key in the `x-api-market-key` header of every request:

```
x-api-market-key: YOUR_API_MARKET_KEY
```

Replace `YOUR_API_MARKET_KEY` with your actual API key obtained from API.market.


### Endpoints

#### 1. List Drugs

Retrieve a paginated list of all available drugs with core details and pricing data.

**Method**: `GET`
**Endpoint**: `/drugpricer/drugs`

**Parameters**:

| Name     | In    | Description                                      | Type      | Required | Default | Max Value |
| :------- | :---- | :----------------------------------------------- | :-------- | :------- | :------ | :-------- |
| `limit`  | query | Maximum number of results per page               | `integer` | No       | `50`    | `1000`    |
| `offset` | query | Number of results to skip for pagination         | `integer` | No       | `0`     |           |

**Example Request**:

```bash
curl -X GET "https://prod.api.market/api/v1/nicheapi-llc-1/drugpricer/drugpricer/drugs?limit=2" \
  -H "x-api-market-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

**Example Response (200 OK)**:

```json
[
  {
    "ndc": "00071-0155-23",
    "brand_name": "Lipitor",
    "generic_name": "Atorvastatin Calcium",
    "manufacturer": "Pfizer Inc.",
    "dosage_form": "Tablet",
    "strength": "20 mg",
    "route": "Oral",
    "therapeutic_class": "HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)",
    "drug_type": "Brand",
    "package_size": "90 tablets",
    "brand_price_usd": 284.00,
    "generic_price_usd": 18.40
  },
  {
    "ndc": "00093-7267-98",
    "brand_name": "Glucophage",
    "generic_name": "Metformin Hydrochloride",
    "manufacturer": "Teva Pharmaceuticals USA",
    "dosage_form": "Tablet",
    "strength": "500 mg",
    "route": "Oral",
    "therapeutic_class": "Biguanide Antidiabetic",
    "drug_type": "Generic",
    "package_size": "100 tablets",
    "brand_price_usd": 42.00,
    "generic_price_usd": 9.80
  }
]
```

---

#### 2. Search Drugs

Search the drug database by brand name, generic name, or keyword. Returns matching records with full pricing and manufacturer context.

**Method**: `GET`
**Endpoint**: `/drugpricer/drugs/search`

**Parameters**:

| Name     | In    | Description                                                     | Type      | Required | Default | Max Value |
| :------- | :---- | :-------------------------------------------------------------- | :-------- | :------- | :------ | :-------- |
| `q`      | query | Search term — matches against brand name, generic name, keyword | `string`  | Yes      |         |           |
| `limit`  | query | Maximum number of results per page                              | `integer` | No       | `50`    | `1000`    |
| `offset` | query | Number of results to skip for pagination                        | `integer` | No       | `0`     |           |

**Example Request**:

```bash
curl -X GET "https://prod.api.market/api/v1/nicheapi-llc-1/drugpricer/drugpricer/drugs/search?q=ibuprofen&limit=2" \
  -H "x-api-market-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

**Example Response (200 OK)**:

```json
[
  {
    "ndc": "00904-6849-59",
    "brand_name": "Advil",
    "generic_name": "Ibuprofen",
    "manufacturer": "Pfizer Consumer Healthcare",
    "dosage_form": "Tablet, Film Coated",
    "strength": "200 mg",
    "route": "Oral",
    "therapeutic_class": "Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID)",
    "drug_type": "Brand",
    "package_size": "100 tablets",
    "brand_price_usd": 12.99,
    "generic_price_usd": 4.89
  },
  {
    "ndc": "00182-1840-01",
    "brand_name": null,
    "generic_name": "Ibuprofen",
    "manufacturer": "Goldline Laboratories Inc.",
    "dosage_form": "Tablet",
    "strength": "400 mg",
    "route": "Oral",
    "therapeutic_class": "Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID)",
    "drug_type": "Generic",
    "package_size": "100 tablets",
    "brand_price_usd": null,
    "generic_price_usd": 6.20
  }
]
```

---

#### 3. Get Drug by NDC

Retrieve the full detail record for a single drug by its FDA National Drug Code.

**Method**: `GET`
**Endpoint**: `/drugpricer/drugs/{ndc}`

**Parameters**:

| Name  | In   | Description                                                    | Type     | Required |
| :---- | :--- | :------------------------------------------------------------- | :------- | :------- |
| `ndc` | path | FDA National Drug Code (10- or 11-digit, hyphens optional)     | `string` | Yes      |

**Example Request**:

```bash
curl -X GET "https://prod.api.market/api/v1/nicheapi-llc-1/drugpricer/drugpricer/drugs/00071-0155-23" \
  -H "x-api-market-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

**Example Response (200 OK)**:

```json
{
  "ndc": "00071-0155-23",
  "brand_name": "Lipitor",
  "generic_name": "Atorvastatin Calcium",
  "manufacturer": "Pfizer Inc.",
  "labeler_code": "00071",
  "product_code": "0155",
  "package_code": "23",
  "dosage_form": "Tablet",
  "strength": "20 mg",
  "route": "Oral",
  "therapeutic_class": "HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)",
  "drug_type": "Brand",
  "dea_schedule": null,
  "rx_otc": "Rx",
  "package_size": "90 tablets",
  "fda_application_number": "NDA020702",
  "marketing_status": "Prescription",
  "brand_price_usd": 284.00,
  "generic_price_usd": 18.40
}
```

---

#### 4. Get Drug Pricing by NDC

Retrieve detailed pricing for a specific drug by its FDA National Drug Code, including brand price, generic price, average wholesale price, and per-unit cost.

**Method**: `GET`
**Endpoint**: `/drugpricer/drugs/{ndc}/price`

**Parameters**:

| Name  | In   | Description                                                    | Type     | Required |
| :---- | :--- | :------------------------------------------------------------- | :------- | :------- |
| `ndc` | path | FDA National Drug Code (10- or 11-digit, hyphens optional)     | `string` | Yes      |

**Example Request**:

```bash
curl -X GET "https://prod.api.market/api/v1/nicheapi-llc-1/drugpricer/drugpricer/drugs/00071-0155-23/price" \
  -H "x-api-market-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

**Example Response (200 OK)**:

```json
{
  "ndc": "00071-0155-23",
  "brand_name": "Lipitor",
  "generic_name": "Atorvastatin Calcium",
  "strength": "20 mg",
  "package_size": "90 tablets",
  "brand_price_usd": 284.00,
  "generic_price_usd": 18.40,
  "average_wholesale_price_usd": 301.20,
  "retail_price_usd": 321.00,
  "price_per_unit_usd": 3.16,
  "generic_savings_pct": 93.5,
  "price_source": "FDA NDC Directory / Wholesale pricing reference",
  "as_of": "2025-01-01"
}
```

---

#### 5. Get Therapeutic Alternatives by NDC

Retrieve a list of therapeutic alternatives for a specific drug, grouped by shared drug class. Useful for identifying lower-cost substitutions within the same clinical category.

**Method**: `GET`
**Endpoint**: `/drugpricer/drugs/{ndc}/alternatives`

**Parameters**:

| Name  | In   | Description                                                    | Type     | Required |
| :---- | :--- | :------------------------------------------------------------- | :------- | :------- |
| `ndc` | path | FDA National Drug Code of the reference drug                   | `string` | Yes      |

**Example Request**:

```bash
curl -X GET "https://prod.api.market/api/v1/nicheapi-llc-1/drugpricer/drugpricer/drugs/00071-0155-23/alternatives" \
  -H "x-api-market-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

**Example Response (200 OK)**:

```json
{
  "reference_ndc": "00071-0155-23",
  "reference_drug": "Lipitor (Atorvastatin Calcium 20 mg)",
  "therapeutic_class": "HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)",
  "alternatives": [
    {
      "ndc": "00093-7094-98",
      "brand_name": null,
      "generic_name": "Simvastatin",
      "manufacturer": "Teva Pharmaceuticals USA",
      "strength": "20 mg",
      "dosage_form": "Tablet",
      "drug_type": "Generic",
      "generic_price_usd": 11.20,
      "brand_price_usd": null,
      "savings_vs_reference_brand_pct": 96.1,
      "notes": "Therapeutically comparable statin; clinical equivalency should be confirmed with a prescriber."
    },
    {
      "ndc": "00003-0154-58",
      "brand_name": "Pravachol",
      "generic_name": "Pravastatin Sodium",
      "manufacturer": "Bristol-Myers Squibb",
      "strength": "20 mg",
      "dosage_form": "Tablet",
      "drug_type": "Brand",
      "generic_price_usd": 14.90,
      "brand_price_usd": 198.00,
      "savings_vs_reference_brand_pct": 94.8,
      "notes": "Therapeutically comparable statin; clinical equivalency should be confirmed with a prescriber."
    }
  ]
}
```

---

## Status Codes

| Code  | Status                | Description |
| :---- | :-------------------- | :---------- |
| `200` | OK                    | The request succeeded and data has been returned. |
| `400` | Bad Request           | The request contains invalid parameters or a malformed query. Review your request syntax. |
| `401` | Unauthorized          | The `x-api-market-key` header is missing or contains an invalid key. |
| `403` | Forbidden             | Your API key is valid but lacks permission to access this resource. |
| `404` | Not Found             | The requested NDC code does not exist in the dataset. Verify the code and formatting. |
| `429` | Too Many Requests     | You have exceeded the rate limit of 60 requests per minute. See the Rate Limits section. |
| `500` | Internal Server Error | An unexpected server-side error occurred. Retry the request after a brief delay. |
| `503` | Service Unavailable   | The server is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or high load. Retry after a short delay. |

---

## Rate Limits

The DrugPricer API enforces a limit of **60 requests per minute** across all plans. If exceeded, the API returns a `429 Too Many Requests` response. To handle this gracefully, implement client-side throttling and exponential backoff in your application. Where provided, the `Retry-After` header in the 429 response will indicate how long to wait before retrying.

---

## FAQ

*   **What is an NDC code and how do I format it?**
    The National Drug Code (NDC) is a unique 11-digit identifier assigned by the FDA to every commercially distributed drug in the United States. It is structured as three segments: a labeler code (manufacturer), a product code (formulation and strength), and a package code (package size and type). The API accepts NDCs with or without hyphens — both `00071-0155-23` and `00071015523` are valid.

*   **What is the difference between `/drugs/{ndc}` and `/drugs/{ndc}/price`?**
    The `/drugs/{ndc}` endpoint returns the full drug record — manufacturer, formulation, FDA application number, marketing status, and pricing summary. The `/drugs/{ndc}/price` endpoint returns a pricing-focused view that adds average wholesale price (AWP), retail price, per-unit cost, and generic savings percentage, making it the preferred endpoint for cost comparison and PBM use cases.

*   **Are therapeutic alternatives guaranteed to be clinically interchangeable?**
    No. Alternatives returned by `/drugs/{ndc}/alternatives` are grouped by shared therapeutic class (e.g., statins, ACE inhibitors, SSRIs), not by FDA therapeutic equivalence rating. Clinical substitutability depends on the specific indication, patient factors, and prescriber judgment. The API surfaces cost-relevant alternatives — final substitution decisions should always involve a licensed clinician or pharmacist.

*   **What does `brand_name: null` mean on a drug record?**
    A null `brand_name` indicates the record represents a generic-only product with no associated brand name — the drug is marketed solely under its INN (generic) name. Conversely, `brand_price_usd: null` on an alternatives record indicates no branded version of that alternative exists in the dataset.

*   **How current is the pricing data?**
    Pricing data is sourced from wholesale pricing references and updated periodically. Each price record includes an `as_of` date indicating the reference period. Drug pricing — particularly generic pricing — changes frequently; treat values as representative reference points and verify against current wholesaler or PBM pricing for production billing applications.

*   **Does the API cover controlled substances?**
    Yes. The `dea_schedule` field on full drug records indicates the DEA scheduling classification (Schedule II through V) where applicable. A `null` value indicates the drug is not a scheduled controlled substance.

*   **How do I authenticate?**
    Include your API key in the `x-api-market-key` request header on every call. See the Authentication section above for details.

*   **What is the rate limit?**
    60 requests per minute across all plans. Exceeding this returns a `429` response.

---

## Contact

For questions or support, please reach out via the chat on the bottom right of the page or email **21truescarystories@gmail.com**.

Real prescription drug pricing from FDA NDC Directory. Search by drug name, get brand/generic prices, find therapeutic alternatives by class. 5 endpoints, 60 req/min.