# MedlinePlus Scraper (`crawlerbros/medlineplus-scraper`) Actor

Scrape MedlinePlus, NIH's free consumer health information service. Search health topics by keyword, look up by ICD-10 code, RxCUI drug code, or LOINC lab code. Trusted source from the National Library of Medicine.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/crawlerbros/medlineplus-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Crawler Bros](https://apify.com/crawlerbros) (community)
- **Categories:** AI, Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## MedlinePlus Scraper

Scrape **MedlinePlus** — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's free consumer health information service trusted by millions. Search health topics by keyword or look up authoritative medical information by clinical code (ICD-10, RxNorm, LOINC).

### What you get

- **Health topic articles** — titles, summaries, synonyms, MeSH terms, and topic categories from the NLM health topics database
- **Clinical code lookups** — structured health information for ICD-10 diagnosis codes, RxNorm drug identifiers, and LOINC lab test codes via the MedlinePlus Connect service
- **Bilingual support** — retrieve results in English or Spanish
- **No API key required** — MedlinePlus is a public U.S. government service

### Data source

All data is sourced from **MedlinePlus** (medlineplus.gov), produced by the [U.S. National Library of Medicine](https://www.nlm.nih.gov), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data is provided under U.S. government open data terms.

### Use cases

- Clinical decision support and patient education materials
- Building health information portals and apps
- Drug reference and medication research
- Lab test information retrieval
- Medical coding verification and education
- Health topic research and content aggregation

### Modes

| Mode | Description | Required input |
|---|---|---|
| `search` | Search health topics by keyword | `query` |
| `byICD10Code` | Look up health info for an ICD-10-CM diagnosis code | `icdCode` |
| `byRxCUI` | Look up drug information by RxNorm Concept Unique Identifier | `rxcui` |
| `byLOINC` | Look up lab test information by LOINC code | `loincCode` |

### Input

| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| `mode` | select | Which data source to query | `search` |
| `query` | string | Keyword to search (mode=search) | `diabetes` |
| `language` | select | Language for results: `en` (English) or `es` (Spanish) | `en` |
| `icdCode` | string | ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (mode=byICD10Code) | `I10` |
| `rxcui` | string | RxNorm CUI for a drug (mode=byRxCUI) | `161` |
| `loincCode` | string | LOINC code for a lab test (mode=byLOINC) | `2345-7` |
| `maxItems` | integer | Maximum records to return (1–500) | `20` |

#### ICD-10 code examples

| Code | Condition |
|---|---|
| `I10` | Essential (primary) hypertension |
| `E11` | Type 2 diabetes mellitus |
| `J45` | Asthma |
| `F32` | Major depressive disorder |
| `M79` | Soft tissue disorders |

#### RxNorm CUI examples

| RXCUI | Drug |
|---|---|
| `161` | Acetaminophen |
| `1049502` | Oxycodone |
| `7847` | Ibuprofen |

#### LOINC code examples

| Code | Test |
|---|---|
| `2345-7` | Blood glucose |
| `718-7` | Hemoglobin |
| `4548-4` | Hemoglobin A1c |
| `2160-0` | Creatinine |

### Output

Each record contains:

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `title` | Health topic or drug/test name |
| `url` | Direct link to the MedlinePlus page |
| `snippet` | Summary paragraph (plain text, HTML stripped) |
| `fullSummary` | Extended summary (search mode, up to 800 chars) |
| `synonyms` | Alternative names and related terms |
| `categories` | Topic categories (e.g. "Endocrine System") |
| `meshTerms` | Medical Subject Headings |
| `code` | Medical code queried (code-based modes) |
| `codeSystem` | Code system name (ICD-10-CM, RxNorm, LOINC) |
| `language` | Language of the result |
| `lastUpdated` | Last update timestamp (code-based modes) |
| `source` | Always "MedlinePlus" |
| `scrapedAt` | ISO 8601 timestamp when the record was scraped |

### FAQs

**Is an API key required?**
No. MedlinePlus is a free public service. No registration, API key, or authentication is needed.

**How current is the data?**
MedlinePlus content is maintained and updated by the National Library of Medicine. The scraper retrieves the latest published content on each run.

**Can I search in Spanish?**
Yes. Set `language` to `es` to retrieve Spanish-language health topic results. Both keyword search and code-based lookups support Spanish via the MedlinePlus Connect service.

**What is MedlinePlus Connect?**
MedlinePlus Connect is an NLM web service that links clinical systems (EHRs) to relevant MedlinePlus health information using standard medical codes (ICD-10-CM, RxNorm, LOINC).

**How many results does a code lookup return?**
Typically 1–5 results per code, covering the most relevant health topic pages for that condition or drug.

**What is the daily test run prefill?**
The default prefill `{"mode": "search", "query": "diabetes", "maxItems": 5}` consistently returns results and is used for daily automated testing.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Which MedlinePlus data source to query.

## `query` (type: `string`):

Free-text keyword to search MedlinePlus health topics (e.g. `diabetes`, `heart disease`).

## `language` (type: `string`):

Language for search results and topic content.

## `icdCode` (type: `string`):

ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (e.g. `I10` for hypertension, `E11` for type 2 diabetes, `J45` for asthma).

## `rxcui` (type: `string`):

RxNorm Concept Unique Identifier (e.g. `161` for acetaminophen, `1049502` for oxycodone).

## `loincCode` (type: `string`):

LOINC lab test code (e.g. `2345-7` for glucose, `718-7` for hemoglobin).

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of records to emit.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "query": "diabetes",
  "language": "en",
  "maxItems": 5
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `healthTopics` (type: `string`):

Dataset containing all scraped MedlinePlus health topic records.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "mode": "search",
    "query": "diabetes",
    "language": "en",
    "maxItems": 5
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("crawlerbros/medlineplus-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "mode": "search",
    "query": "diabetes",
    "language": "en",
    "maxItems": 5,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("crawlerbros/medlineplus-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "mode": "search",
  "query": "diabetes",
  "language": "en",
  "maxItems": 5
}' |
apify call crawlerbros/medlineplus-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,crawlerbros/medlineplus-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/rmr9vCkLrepDPcQY8/builds/ypDmbmnRkeEhiA3T9/openapi.json