Medical MCP - MCP Server

Medical MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides comprehensive medical information by querying multiple authoritative medical APIs including FDA, WHO, PubMed, and RxNorm.

🔒 Security Features

Localhost-Only Binding: This server is configured for maximum security with localhost-only access:

Stdio Mode (Default): Inherently localhost-only process communication
HTTP Mode: Binds to 127.0.0.1 only, blocks all external connections
IP Filtering: Validates all incoming connections against localhost addresses
CORS Restrictions: Only allows localhost origins
Security Logging: All blocked connection attempts are logged

See SECURITY.md for detailed security configuration.

Features

This MCP server offers five specialized tools for querying medical information from reliable sources:

💊 Drug Information Tools

`search-drugs`

Search for drug information using the FDA database.

Input:

query (string): Drug name to search for (brand name or generic name)
limit (optional, number): Number of results to return (1-50, default: 10)

Output:

Drug information including brand name, generic name, manufacturer, route, dosage form, and purpose

Example:

Drug Search Results for "Advil"

Found 1 drug(s)

1. **ADVIL**
   Generic Name: IBUPROFEN
   Manufacturer: PFIZER CONSUMER HEALTHCARE
   Route: ORAL
   Dosage Form: TABLET
   Purpose: For temporary relief of minor aches and pains...
   Last Updated: 20210902

`get-drug-details`

Get detailed information about a specific drug by NDC (National Drug Code).

Input:

ndc (string): National Drug Code (NDC) of the drug

Output:

Comprehensive drug information including warnings, drug interactions, and clinical pharmacology

📊 Health Statistics Tools

`get-health-statistics`

Get health statistics and indicators from WHO Global Health Observatory.

Input:

indicator (string): Health indicator to search for (e.g., 'Life expectancy', 'Mortality rate')
country (optional, string): Country code (e.g., 'USA', 'GBR')
limit (optional, number): Number of results to return (1-20, default: 10)

Output:

Health statistics with values, ranges, and temporal data

Example:

Health Statistics: Life expectancy at birth (years)

Country: USA
Found 10 data points

1. **USA** (2019)
   Value: 78.5 years
   Numeric Value: 78.5
   Date: 2019-12-31

🔬 Medical Literature Tools

`search-medical-literature`

Search for medical research articles in PubMed.

Input:

query (string): Medical topic or condition to search for
max_results (optional, number): Maximum number of articles to return (1-20, default: 10)

Output:

Medical research articles with titles, PMIDs, journals, and publication dates

Example:

Medical Literature Search: "diabetes treatment"

Found 10 article(s)

1. **Novel Approaches to Diabetes Management**
   PMID: 12345678
   Journal: New England Journal of Medicine
   Publication Date: 2024-01-15

`search-google-scholar`

Search for academic research articles using Google Scholar.

Input:

query (string): Academic topic or research query to search for

Output:

Academic research articles with titles, authors, abstracts, journals, years, citations, and URLs

Example:

Google Scholar Search: "machine learning healthcare"

Found 10 article(s)

1. **Machine Learning in Healthcare: A Systematic Review**
   Authors: Smith J, Johnson A - Journal of Medical AI
   Year: 2023
   Citations: Cited by 45
   URL: https://scholar.google.com/...
   Abstract: This systematic review examines the application of machine learning...

Note: This tool uses web scraping to access Google Scholar since it doesn't provide a public API. It includes rate limiting protection and stealth measures to avoid detection.

🏥 Drug Nomenclature Tools

`search-drug-nomenclature`

Search for drug information using RxNorm (standardized drug nomenclature).

Input:

query (string): Drug name to search for in RxNorm database

Output:

Standardized drug information with RxCUI codes, synonyms, and term types

Installation

Clone this repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd medical-mcp

Install dependencies:

npm install

Build the project:

npm run build

Usage

Running the Server

Start the MCP server:

npm start

The server runs on stdio and can be connected to any MCP-compatible client.

Example Queries

Here are some example queries you can make with this MCP server:

Search for Drug Information

{
  "tool": "search-drugs",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "Tylenol",
    "limit": 5
  }
}

Get Drug Details by NDC

{
  "tool": "get-drug-details",
  "arguments": {
    "ndc": "00071015527"
  }
}

Get Health Statistics

{
  "tool": "get-health-statistics",
  "arguments": {
    "indicator": "Life expectancy at birth (years)",
    "country": "USA",
    "limit": 5
  }
}

Search Medical Literature

{
  "tool": "search-medical-literature",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "COVID-19 treatment",
    "max_results": 10
  }
}

Search Drug Nomenclature

{
  "tool": "search-drug-nomenclature",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "aspirin"
  }
}

API Endpoints

This MCP server integrates with the following medical APIs:

FDA API

GET /drug/label.json - Drug labeling information
Search by brand name, generic name, or NDC
Provides safety information, warnings, and clinical data

WHO Global Health Observatory API

GET /api/Indicator - Health statistics and indicators
Global health data with country-specific information
Temporal data for trend analysis

PubMed API

GET /esearch.fcgi - Search for medical articles
GET /efetch.fcgi - Retrieve article details
Access to millions of medical research papers

RxNorm API

GET /REST/drugs.json - Standardized drug nomenclature
Drug name standardization and relationships
Clinical drug information

Google Scholar (Web Scraping)

Web scraping of Google Scholar search results
Academic research article discovery
Citation and publication information
Note: Uses Puppeteer for browser automation with anti-detection measures

Data Sources

FDA (Food and Drug Administration)

Source: Official FDA drug labeling database
Coverage: All FDA-approved drugs in the United States
Data: Drug safety, efficacy, dosage, warnings, and interactions
Update Frequency: Real-time as drugs are approved or labeling changes

WHO (World Health Organization)

Source: Global Health Observatory database
Coverage: Global health statistics from 194 countries
Data: Life expectancy, mortality rates, disease prevalence, and health indicators
Update Frequency: Annual updates with historical data

PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Source: MEDLINE database of medical literature
Coverage: Over 30 million citations from medical journals
Data: Research articles, clinical studies, and medical reviews
Update Frequency: Daily updates as new articles are published

RxNorm (National Library of Medicine)

Source: Standardized drug nomenclature system
Coverage: Clinical drugs available in the United States
Data: Drug names, codes, relationships, and clinical information
Update Frequency: Weekly updates

Google Scholar (Web Scraping)

Source: Google Scholar academic search engine
Coverage: Academic papers, theses, books, and abstracts across all disciplines
Data: Research articles, citations, authors, journals, and publication dates
Update Frequency: Real-time as new papers are indexed
Note: Access via web scraping with rate limiting protection

Error Handling

The server includes comprehensive error handling:

Network errors are caught and reported with descriptive messages
Invalid queries return appropriate error messages
Rate limiting and API errors are handled gracefully
Fallback responses when specific APIs are unavailable

Web Scraping Implementation

The Google Scholar integration uses Puppeteer for web scraping with the following features:

Anti-Detection Measures

Stealth Mode: Browser launched with multiple flags to avoid detection
User Agent Spoofing: Realistic browser user agent strings
Random Delays: Built-in delays between requests to avoid rate limiting
Header Spoofing: Realistic HTTP headers to appear as a regular browser
Viewport Settings: Standard desktop viewport dimensions

Robust Parsing

Multiple Selectors: Uses various CSS selectors to handle different Google Scholar layouts
Fallback Strategies: Multiple parsing approaches for different page structures
Error Recovery: Graceful handling of missing elements or changed page structures
Data Validation: Filters out incomplete or invalid results

Rate Limiting Protection

Random Delays: 1-3 second random delays between requests
Browser Management: Proper browser cleanup to prevent resource leaks
Timeout Handling: Configurable timeouts for network requests
Error Recovery: Automatic retry logic for failed requests

🚀 Usage

Stdio Mode (Default - Most Secure)

# Build and run in stdio mode (inherently localhost-only)
npm run build
npm start

# Or directly
node build/index.js

HTTP Mode (Localhost-Only)

# HTTP server on localhost only (port 3000)
npm run start:http

# Custom port
npm run start:http:port
# or
node build/index.js --http --port=8080

# Test localhost access
curl http://localhost:3000/info

Development Mode

# Build and run stdio
npm run dev

# Build and run HTTP
npm run dev:http

🤖 Claude Desktop Integration

Setup Instructions

1. Install and Build the Server

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/JamesANZ/medical-mcp.git
cd medical-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the server
npm run build

2. Configure Claude Desktop

Create or edit your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "medical-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/medical-mcp/build/index.js"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/medical-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Replace the paths with your actual installation directory:

For users with NVM (Node Version Manager):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "medical-mcp": {
      "command": "/Users/yourusername/.nvm/versions/node/v22.17.0/bin/node",
      "args": [
        "/Users/yourusername/Documents/projects/medical-mcp/build/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For users with system Node.js:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "medical-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourusername/medical-mcp/build/index.js"],
      "cwd": "/Users/yourusername/medical-mcp"
    }
  }
}

To find your Node.js path:

# If using NVM
which node
# Example output: /Users/yourusername/.nvm/versions/node/v22.17.0/bin/node

# If using system Node.js
which node
# Example output: /usr/local/bin/node

3. Restart Claude Desktop

Close Claude Desktop completely
Reopen Claude Desktop
The Medical MCP Server will start automatically

Available Medical Tools in Claude

Once connected, you'll have access to these medical tools:

🔍 Search Tools

search-drugs - Search FDA drug database
search-pubmed-articles - Search medical literature
search-google-scholar - Search academic research
search-medical-databases - Comprehensive multi-database search
search-medical-journals - Search top medical journals

💊 Drug Information Tools

get-drug-by-ndc - Get drug details by NDC code
check-drug-interactions - Check drug interactions
get-drug-safety-info - Get drug safety information

🏥 Clinical Tools

generate-differential-diagnosis - Generate differential diagnoses
get-diagnostic-criteria - Get diagnostic criteria for conditions
get-risk-calculators - Get clinical risk calculators
get-lab-values - Get normal lab value ranges

📊 Health Data Tools

get-health-indicators - Get WHO health statistics
search-rxnorm-drugs - Search RxNorm drug database
search-clinical-guidelines - Search clinical guidelines

Example Claude Conversations

Drug Information Query

User: "What are the side effects of metformin and can it interact with lisinopril?"

Claude will use:
- search-drugs for metformin information
- check-drug-interactions for metformin + lisinopril
- get-drug-safety-info for detailed safety data

Clinical Decision Support

User: "A 45-year-old patient presents with chest pain, shortness of breath, and diaphoresis. What should I consider?"

Claude will use:
- generate-differential-diagnosis for possible conditions
- get-diagnostic-criteria for specific diagnostic criteria
- search-medical-databases for latest research

Research and Literature Review

User: "Find recent research on COVID-19 treatment protocols"

Claude will use:
- search-pubmed-articles for medical literature
- search-medical-journals for top-tier research
- search-google-scholar for additional academic sources

🔒 Security Features in Claude

Localhost-Only: Server runs locally, no external access
Process Isolation: Medical data stays on your machine
No Data Storage: No medical data is stored locally
Dynamic Data: All information retrieved in real-time
Audit Logging: All queries are logged for transparency

Troubleshooting

Server Won't Start

# Check if the server builds correctly
npm run build

# Test the server directly
node build/index.js

# Check for port conflicts
lsof -i :3000

Claude Can't Connect

Verify the configuration file path is correct
Ensure the server executable path is absolute
Check that Node.js is in your PATH
Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes

Permission Issues

# Make sure the executable has proper permissions
chmod 755 build/index.js

# On macOS, you might need to allow Node.js in Security &amp; Privacy

Network Issues

The server uses localhost-only binding for security
No external network access required for the server itself
Medical data is fetched from external APIs when needed

Best Practices

For Medical Professionals

Always verify information through multiple sources
Use as a starting point for research, not final decisions
Follow established clinical guidelines
Document your decision-making process

For Students and Researchers

Use for literature reviews and research
Cross-reference with primary sources
Understand the limitations of AI-generated summaries
Always cite original sources

For General Users

Use for educational purposes only
Never replace professional medical advice
Consult healthcare providers for medical decisions
Be aware of information limitations

Advanced Configuration

Custom Port (if needed)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "medical-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/medical-mcp/build/index.js", "--http", "--port=3001"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/medical-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

# Set custom API timeouts
export MCP_TIMEOUT=30000

# Set custom user agent
export MCP_USER_AGENT="Medical-Research-Tool/1.0"

🔒 Security Verification

Test Localhost Access

# Should work (localhost)
curl http://localhost:3000/info

# Should be blocked (external IP)
curl http://YOUR_EXTERNAL_IP:3000/info
# Returns: "Access denied: This server is restricted to localhost only"

Check Binding

# Verify server is bound to localhost only
netstat -an | grep :3000
# Should show: 127.0.0.1:3000 (not 0.0.0.0:3000)

Medical Disclaimer

Important: This MCP server provides information from authoritative medical sources but should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals for medical decisions.

The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only
Drug information may not be complete or up-to-date for all medications
Health statistics are aggregated data and may not reflect individual circumstances
Medical literature should be interpreted by qualified healthcare professionals

Dependencies

@modelcontextprotocol/sdk - MCP SDK for server implementation
superagent - HTTP client for API requests
puppeteer - Browser automation for web scraping Google Scholar
zod - Schema validation for tool parameters

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE.md file for details.