Drug Search

Search our database of 1,400+ FDA-approved medications by name, active ingredient, or brand name. Find drug details, side effects, and interactions.

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About Our Drug Database

PillFYI's drug database is sourced from FDA openFDA, DailyMed, and RxNorm — the authoritative public databases maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the Food and Drug Administration.

Each drug entry includes generic and brand names, active ingredients with strengths, pharmacological class (WHO ATC classification), dosage forms, administration route, indications, warnings, and FDA approval date where available.

Search by generic name (e.g., ibuprofen), brand name (e.g., Advil), or active ingredient. Results include both prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) medications.

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Medical Disclaimer

This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making medication decisions.

Data sources: ChEMBL, PubChem, DailyMed.

How to Use

1
Search by drug name or ingredient
Enter the generic name, brand name, or active ingredient of the medication. The database covers over 1,400 FDA-approved drugs with cross-referencing between brand and generic names, enabling retrieval regardless of which name the patient uses.
2
Review drug details and classification
Each drug profile displays the WHO ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical) classification code, pharmacological class, approved indications, dosage forms, and regulatory approval status. ATC codes provide standardized international drug classification down to the fifth level (chemical substance).
3
Explore side effects and interactions
From the drug profile, navigate to the side effect frequency table derived from FDA clinical trial data and link to the interaction checker to screen the drug against your current medication list. This integrated workflow supports comprehensive medication review.

About

FDA drug approval and classification represent the foundation of evidence-based pharmacotherapy. The FDA reviews new drug applications under statutes governed by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, evaluating data from phase I (safety and pharmacokinetics), phase II (dose-finding and preliminary efficacy), and phase III (pivotal efficacy and safety) clinical trials before granting approval. Post-approval phase IV studies and mandatory pharmacovigilance monitoring provide ongoing data on real-world safety, long-term outcomes, and performance in populations underrepresented in pre-approval trials.

Generic drug approval under the Hatch-Waxman Act (1984) transformed medication access by enabling manufacturers to seek ANDA approval without duplicating clinical trials, instead demonstrating bioequivalence to the reference brand. The FDA's Orange Book (Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations) provides therapeutic equivalence ratings ('A' ratings indicate substitutability, 'B' ratings flag potential bioequivalence concerns). As of 2025, generics represent approximately 90% of dispensed prescriptions in the United States while accounting for a far smaller share of drug spending, reflecting the central role of generic competition in healthcare economics.

This drug search tool provides access to key regulatory and pharmacological attributes of FDA-approved medications, enabling patients and healthcare providers to quickly retrieve approved indications, drug class information, and links to safety resources. The integration of ATC classification supports comparison of drugs within the same class, while links to the interaction checker and side effect lookup create a seamless medication review workflow. All information is derived from FDA-authorized sources and should be complemented by clinical judgment and real-time pharmacist consultation for individual patient care decisions.

FAQ

What is the WHO ATC drug classification system?

The WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system organizes drugs into five hierarchical levels: anatomical main group (e.g., C for cardiovascular), therapeutic subgroup, pharmacological subgroup, chemical subgroup, and chemical substance. The ATC code for atorvastatin, for example, is C10AA05 — cardiovascular system, lipid-modifying agents, HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, atorvastatin. The WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology in Oslo maintains the ATC system and annually updates its guidelines. The classification is widely used in pharmacoepidemiology, drug utilization research, and international drug comparison studies.

How is a drug's pharmacological class determined?

FDA pharmacological class is established during new drug application (NDA) or biologics license application (BLA) review and is published in the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class (EPC) database. EPC terms are structured vocabulary terms (mechanism of action, pharmacological class, or physiological effect class) that appear in FDA-approved drug labeling and the National Drug File Reference Terminology (NDF-RT). Examples include 'HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor [EPC]' for statins and 'Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor [EPC]' for SSRIs. The EPC system enables grouping of drugs with shared mechanisms for safety signal detection and comparative effectiveness research.

What does FDA approval status mean for a drug?

FDA approval status indicates whether a drug has been reviewed and approved by the FDA for specific indications. New molecular entities receive approval through the NDA pathway (21 CFR Part 314) following demonstration of safety and efficacy in clinical trials. Biological products use the BLA pathway (21 CFR Part 601). Generic drugs are approved through the Abbreviated NDA (ANDA) pathway upon demonstration of pharmaceutical equivalence and bioequivalence to the reference listed drug. Drugs with Breakthrough Therapy, Priority Review, or Accelerated Approval designations receive expedited review for serious or life-threatening conditions.

How current is the drug database?

The drug database is maintained using publicly available FDA data sources including DailyMed, the FDA Drug@FDA database, and FDA Approved Drug Products (Orange Book). Drug records are updated to reflect label revisions, new indications, post-marketing safety communications (Drug Safety Communications), and Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) designations. The FDA issues an average of several hundred label updates per year, and major safety-related label changes are prioritized for database updates.

Can I find information about off-label drug uses?

This database focuses primarily on FDA-approved indications as described in current prescribing information. Off-label use — prescribing a drug for an indication, dosage, or patient population not specifically approved by the FDA — is a common and legal clinical practice, particularly in oncology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Information on off-label uses is not included in the database because such uses lack FDA regulatory review and their inclusion could be misleading. Published clinical guidelines and drug information resources such as UpToDate or Lexicomp provide evidence-graded off-label use information for clinical decision support.