Frequently Asked Questions

All information comes from official FDA databases: Structured Product Labeling (SPL) for drug labels, the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for real-world side effect reports, and FDA Drug Enforcement Reports for recall information. We do not use third-party data, unverified sources, or fabricated medical claims.

SPL is the official FDA format for drug labeling submitted by pharmaceutical manufacturers. It is the same detailed labeling your pharmacist reads and covers indications (what a drug is approved for), dosage instructions, warnings, contraindications, drug interactions, adverse reactions, and storage requirements.

No. Adverse event counts from FAERS reflect the number of reports submitted to the FDA, not the rate of adverse events per population of users. A drug used by millions of people will generate more reports than a rarely-used drug even if neither is comparatively unsafe. FAERS data is useful for awareness and discussion with your doctor, not for comparing drug safety.

Check the official FDA recall notice linked on the drug's page. Recalls range from Class I (serious risk) to Class III (unlikely to cause harm). Follow the instructions in the official notice, typically contacting your pharmacy or the manufacturer for a refund or replacement. Do not stop taking a critical medication without consulting your prescriber.

PlainMeds translates complex medical language into plain English summaries to improve readability. The underlying factual data comes directly from the FDA SPL, but you may notice differences in wording. For official prescribing information, always refer to the current package insert or FDA labeling, which we link to on each drug page.

Yes. PlainMeds indexes drugs by brand name, generic name, and active ingredient. If you search for an active ingredient like ibuprofen, you'll find all brand-name and generic products containing that ingredient.

PlainMeds labels documented drug interactions as minor, moderate, or major, following the severity recorded in FDA Structured Product Labeling. A major interaction carries a documented risk serious enough that the combination is generally avoided or needs close monitoring; a moderate one may require monitoring or a dose adjustment; a minor one is usually low-risk. A severity rating describes the documented potential, not a certainty of harm. Whether an interaction affects you depends on your dose, timing, and other medications, so always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor.

PlainMeds refreshes its database periodically from the official sources. FDA drug labeling (SPL) updates continuously as manufacturers submit revisions, FAERS adverse-event data is published quarterly by the FDA, recall and shortage data update as the FDA issues new actions, and CMS NADAC pricing is released weekly. Each data page shows when its underlying figures were last compiled.

The prices come from the CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), the federal benchmark for what retail pharmacies pay to acquire a medication. NADAC is an acquisition-cost benchmark, not the retail price you pay at the counter. Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your insurance, pharmacy, and any discounts, so treat these figures as a consistent way to compare medications rather than a quote for your prescription.

No. PlainMeds is an independent project and is not affiliated with the FDA, any pharmaceutical company, or any healthcare organization. We present publicly available FDA data to help people understand their medications more easily.