All articles
FDA recalls, drug safety, CDC data, and healthcare analytics.
FDA Drug Recall Classes: What Class I, II, and III Mean
A breakdown of FDA recall classifications, what triggers each class, and how to track recalls programmatically using the openFDA enforcement API.
4 min readOzempic Adverse Events: What the FDA FAERS Data Shows
Analysis of semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) adverse event reports from the FDA FAERS database. Real numbers, not headlines.
4 min readopenFDA API: A Developer's Getting Started Guide
How to query the openFDA API for drug data, adverse events, recalls, and labels. Includes endpoints, authentication, rate limits, and example queries.
4 min readCDC WONDER Database: What It Contains and How to Use It
A guide to the CDC WONDER system for mortality data, natality stats, and population health research. Includes query examples and data access methods.
4 min readNDC Codes Explained: How Drug Identification Works in the US
What National Drug Codes (NDC) are, their 3-segment structure, and how to use the NDC Directory API for drug lookups and pharmacy data integration.
4 min readCMS Hospital Star Ratings: How They Work and Where to Get the Data
An explanation of how CMS calculates hospital star ratings (1-5 stars), the data sources behind them, and how to access the Compare dataset programmatically.
4 min read5 Free US Health Data Sources Every Developer Should Know
A practical guide to the best public health data APIs and datasets: openFDA, CDC SODA, CMS Provider Data, NPI Registry, and NIH Reporter.
5 min readFDA Drug Approval Process: Timeline, Phases, and Data
How a drug goes from lab to pharmacy shelf. The FDA approval timeline, clinical trial phases, NDA/BLA submissions, and where to find approval data.
5 min readMedicare Drug Spending: Where the Money Goes (2024 Data)
Analysis of Medicare Part D drug spending data. Which drugs cost Medicare the most, spending trends, and how to access CMS pricing datasets.
5 min readNPI Registry API: How to Look Up Any US Healthcare Provider
A developer guide to the NPI Registry API (NPPES). Search providers by name, specialty, location, or NPI number. Includes query examples and bulk download info.
5 min readDrug Interaction Data: Where to Find It and How to Use It
A guide to programmatic drug interaction data sources: DailyMed SPL, RxNorm, openFDA labels, and DrugBank. How to build interaction checks into your app.
5 min readHealth Data APIs Compared: openFDA vs CDC SODA vs CMS
A side-by-side comparison of the three major US government health data APIs. Query syntax, rate limits, data freshness, and which to use for what.
5 min read