More people are starting their medication hunt by asking an AI assistant. That's a good instinct for the research — what strengths a drug comes in, whether it's in national shortage, how prescription transfers work — but no assistant can see a pharmacy's shelf. So we built a bridge.

Starting today, Needle runs a free Model Context Protocol (MCP) server at https://www.findneedle.co/mcp. Add it to ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code or any app that supports remote MCP servers, and your assistant can use Needle directly. No account or API key needed.

What your assistant can do with Needle

  • Find the exact product. Pharmacies answer stock questions for an exact drug, strength and form. The assistant can turn "adderall xr 20" or a misspelling into the precise products sold in the US, using NIH's RxNorm.
  • Check the FDA shortage list. It can see whether the FDA currently lists a drug in national shortage, which manufacturers report limited supply, and any estimated recovery notes — and explain what that means for you.
  • Answer from Needle's guides. It can search and quote our articles on what to do when a pharmacy is out, transferring a controlled-substance prescription, and finding GLP-1 and ADHD medications.
  • Start a real search. When you want to know which pharmacy has it, the assistant gives you a link to start a Needle search. We phone the pharmacies and tell you which ones say they have it in stock.

How to connect

Setup takes about a minute. The step-by-step instructions for ChatGPT, Claude and developer tools are on our AI page. In short: add a custom connector (in ChatGPT this lives under developer mode), paste the server URL, and choose no authentication.

What we don't do

The MCP server is read-only and doesn't ask for or store your name, date of birth, insurance or prescription details. We log which tools are used and the medication searched — without your identity — so we can see what people need and improve. You can read more in our privacy policy.

Prefer to skip the chatbot? You can always start a search directly, or read how Needle works.