What RxList does

RxList, branded as "The Internet Drug Index," is a free consumer-facing online drug information resource founded in 1995 and headquartered in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The company operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Internet Brands, a diversified internet media conglomerate, and serves two audiences: general consumers and patients seeking to understand their medications, and healthcare professionals (pharmacists, physicians, nurses) using the site for clinical reference. The platform covers brand-name and generic prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, dietary supplements, herbs, and related medical conditions.

The core product is a web-based portal integrating multiple reference tools. The Drugs A-Z database provides detailed monographs on uses, side effects, warnings, dosages, and interactions. Specialized tools include a Pill Identifier (visual search by imprint, color, and shape), a Drug Interaction Checker with severity classification (contraindicated, serious, significant, minor) covering drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-supplement interactions, a Drugs Comparison tool, a Drugs-by-Classification index, a Vitamins & Supplements section, and a Pharmacy Locator directory spanning approximately 1,000 U.S. cities. Supporting resources include a medical dictionary, educational slideshows, an image gallery, and health quizzes.

RxList is monetized exclusively through advertising. There are no subscription fees, paywalls, registration requirements, or transaction charges for end users. The site displays third-party programmatic advertising through networks including contextweb and Medscape. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via web browser; the platform is U.S.-focused, holds TRUSTe privacy certification, and shares policy infrastructure with sibling property WebMD. There is no disclosed mobile app, no public API, no AI/ML features, and no integrations or external partnerships documented in the available data.

Name

RxList

Legal name

RxList Inc.

Website

https://rxlist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

RxList is a free, ad-supported online drug information database serving U.S. consumers and healthcare professionals with prescription drug monographs, pill identification, drug-interaction checking, supplement references, and a pharmacy locator directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Drug Information / Consumer Health Reference

NAICS

Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)

akta.pro primary industry

Medication Therapy Management (MTM) & Clinical Pharmacy Services Tools (HLACAKAH)

Keywords

• Drug information database
• Prescription drug reference
• Pill identifier tool
• Drug interaction checker
• Online pharmacy locator

Headquarters

HQ city

Rancho Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The site displays third-party advertisements through programmatic advertising networks (contextweb, Medscape, and other adtech platforms). Given RxList is a free consumer-facing service with no paywall or subscription model mentioned, advertising is the primary revenue source.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

RxList operates "The Internet Drug Index," a free, web-based prescription drug information database serving both consumers and healthcare professionals. It offers alphabetical drug listings (brand and generic), drug classification and comparison tools, vitamins and supplement monographs, a Drug Interaction Checker, a Pill Identifier, a Pharmacy Locator, and a medical dictionary. The platform is monetized through third-party advertising rather than user fees.

Product overview

RxList is The Internet Drug Index, a comprehensive online prescription drug information database. The platform operates as a unified information portal offering multiple interconnected resources including Drugs A-Z (comprehensive drug listings), Generic Drugs A-Z, Drugs by Classification, Drugs Comparison tools, Drugs and Conditions articles, Vitamins & Supplements monographs, Drug Interaction Checker, Pill Identifier tool, Pharmacy Locator Tool, Medical Dictionary, Slideshows, Images, and Quizzes. All products work together as an integrated drug reference system where users can search for drugs alphabetically, identify pills visually, check for drug interactions, compare medications, and access supplemental health information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drugs A-Z Alphabetical listing of prescription and over-the-counter drugs with detailed monographs on uses, side effects, warnings, dosages, and drug interactions for general consumers and healthcare professionals.
• Generic Drugs A-Z Alphabetical index of generic drug names with corresponding brand-name references and therapeutic information for users researching cost-effective or alternative formulations.
• Drugs by Classification Index of drugs organized by therapeutic classification, explaining how drug categories work, their uses, side effects, and related drugs for educational reference.
• Drugs Comparison Side-by-side comparison tool for two or more drugs covering uses, side effects, drug interactions, and dosage information to help users evaluate alternatives.
• Drugs and Conditions Articles pairing drugs with the medical conditions they treat, providing treatment information and medication guides for consumers researching a specific diagnosis.
• Vitamins & Supplements Evidence-based monographs on herbs, vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements covering effectiveness, safety, and potential drug interactions for consumer self-research.
• Drug Interaction Checker Interactive tool that allows users to enter multiple drugs and checks for potential drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-supplement interactions with severity classifications (contraindicated, serious, significant, minor).
• Pill Identifier Visual pill finder that identifies unknown prescription and OTC medications by physical characteristics including imprint, color, and shape, used for both consumer and clinical medication-error contexts.
• Pharmacy Locator Tool Directory of U.S. pharmacies organized by city, covering approximately 1,000 cities and surfacing local pharmacy locations including 24-hour options.
• Medical Dictionary Drug-related medical terminology reference providing definitions for medical terms and pharmaceutical vocabulary used across the RxList platform.
• Slideshows Visual educational slideshows covering drug-related topics and medical conditions for consumer health education.
• Images Drug and medical condition image gallery providing visual reference for drugs, conditions, and related content.
• Quizzes Educational quizzes covering drugs, vitamins, supplements, and general health topics for consumer engagement and learning.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• GoodRx: GoodRx is a broader incumbent in the consumer drug space, primarily known for drug pricing and telehealth services but also publishing drug information content. It intersects with RxList on consumer drug queries and competes for the same pharma advertiser dollars.
• Mayo Clinic (Patient Information): Mayo Clinic publishes authoritative drug and condition information as part of a broader hospital/health system brand. It is a broad incumbent that frequently outranks consumer drug sites in search results for authoritative medical queries.

Direct peers

• Medscape: Medscape is a professional-focused drug reference also owned by Internet Brands within the WebMD Health Network. It targets physicians, pharmacists, and nurses with detailed drug monographs and interaction tools, overlapping directly with RxList's professional user segment.
• Drugs.com: Drugs.com is the closest direct competitor to RxList, offering an A-Z drug database, pill identifier, drug interaction checker, and consumer drug information. Both sites target consumers and healthcare professionals with similar free, ad-supported models.
• Everyday Health: Everyday Health provides consumer-facing drug information, condition guides, and treatment content, monetized via advertising. It is a direct peer in SEO-driven drug/health content for consumers.
• Healthline: Healthline (Dotdash Meredith, IAC-owned) is a major consumer health content site with drug information monographs, condition content, and symptom guidance. It competes for the same SEO-driven consumer health queries as RxList.
• Medical News Today: Medical News Today (Healthline Media/IAC) is a consumer health and drug information site covering medications, conditions, and news. It competes directly for branded drug and condition search queries.
• Verywell Health: Verywell Health (Dotdash Meredith) is a consumer health information site covering drugs, conditions, and wellness, monetized through advertising. It overlaps with RxList's consumer drug information offering and SEO strategy.
• WebMD: WebMD provides consumer drug information, pill identifiers, and interaction checkers overlapping with RxList. It is now a sister property within the same Internet Brands/WebMD Health Network portfolio, sharing advertiser relationships and traffic cross-promotion.

Emerging players

• DrugBank: DrugBank is a structured drug knowledge platform used by healthcare professionals and developers, with APIs and clinical-grade drug data. It overlaps with RxList's professional audience on drug interaction and identification use cases.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rxlist
• Facebookfacebook.com/RxList

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RxList