openFDA Search and Query

Prerequisites

1. uv: Read the uv skill and follow its Setup instructions to ensure uv is installed and on PATH.
2. User Notification: If .licenses/openfda_database_LICENSE.txt does not already exist in the workspace root directory then (1) prominently notify the user to check the terms at https://open.fda.gov/apis/ and https://open.fda.gov/license, then (2) create the file recording the notification text and timestamp.
3. .env file: Make sure the .env file exists in your home directory. Create one if it does not exist.
4. FDA_API_KEY (optional but recommended): Raises the daily request limit from 1,000 to 120,000. The skill works without it, but an agent can easily exhaust the keyless limit in a single session. You can register for a free key at https://open.fda.gov/apis/authentication/. You MUST use the safe credentials protocol in the credentials skill to check for and request this key if this skill looks relevant to the user's request.

Core Rules

• Use the Wrapper: ALWAYS execute the provided helper scripts to query the database rather than accessing the database directly. The scripts automatically enforce the required rate limit gracefully.

• Rate Limiting: Respect openFDA rate limits. Without API key: 240 requests/min, 1,000 requests/day per IP. With API key: 240 requests/min, 120,000 requests/day per key. Always set an API key before running multi-query workflows.

Warning: An automated agent can easily exhaust the 1,000-request daily limit in a single research session. Always set an API key before running multi-query workflows.

You MUST use the safe credentials protocol in the credentials skill to help the user add FDA_API_KEY to their .env file if this skill looks relevant to the user's request. The script will emit a warning to stderr if no API key is detected.