Mini Project

on

“ mediMatch : Smart medicine recommender”

Submitted to

Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati

in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of degree of
Bachelor of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

Submitted by

Miss. Kasturi R. Bhogal (L)

Mr. Aman R. Kokate

Mr. Aditya S. Hire

Mr. Nikhil V. Bhogal

Miss. Dnyaneshwari S. Bhagat

Under the guidance of

Prof. P. J. Dembla

Department of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

P. R. Pote Patil College of Engineering & Management, Amravati
2024-25
CERTIFICATE
 This is to certify that the project entitled

“MediMatch: Smart Medicine Recommender”

Is a bonafide work and it is submitted to the

Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati.
Submitted by

Miss. Kasturi R. Bhogal (L)

Mr. Aman R. Kokate

Mr. Aditya S. Hire

Mr. Nikhil V. Bhogal

Miss. Dnyaneshwari S. Bhagat

In the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Bachelor
of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science during the academic year
of 2024– 25

Prof. P. J. Dembla Prof. Y. M. Babnekar Dr. A. B. Gadicha

Guide Project Coordinator HOD, AI &DS

Department of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

P. R. Pote (Patil) College of Engineering & Management, Amravati
2024-25
 INDEX
Chapter No/ Contents Page No
Declaration i
Acknowledgement ii
List of Figure iii
List of Abbreviation iv
Abstract v

1.Introduction 1
1.1 Motivation
1.2 Aim
1.3 Objectives

2. Literature Survey 4
2.1 Effective Technologies
2.2 Patient Needs & Insights
2.3 Limitations of Existing Platforms

3. Idea/ Methodology 5
3.1 Working
3.2 Tools & Technologies
3.3 Expected Outcome
3.4 System Workflow

4. Results and Result Analysis 7

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Model Performance and Accuracy
 4.3 Feature Importance and Health Insights
4.4 User Experience and Accessibility
4.5 Early Detection and Preventive Health Support
4.6 Scalability and Future Integration

Screenshot 9

5. Report 10

5.1 Performance Summary

5.2 Key Insights

5.3 MediMatch Highlights

5.4 Future Potential

5.5 Impact

6. Opportunity & Challenges 12

6.1 Enhancements
6.2 Data Upgrades
6.3 Challenges

7. References 14
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the Project entitled, “MediMatch: Smart Medicine

Recommender” was carried out and written by me under the guidance of Prof. P.
J. Dembla, Dept. of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, P. R. Pote Patil
College of Engineering & Management, Amravati. This work has not been
previously formed the basis for the award of any degree or diploma or certificate,
nor has it been submitted elsewhere for the award of any degree or diploma.

Place: Amravati Miss. Kasturi R. Bhogal

Mr. Aman R. Kokate

Mr. Aditya S. Hire

Mr. Nikhil V. Bhogal

Miss. Dnyaneshwari S. Bhagat

Third Year (AI &DS)

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is my utmost duty and desire to express acknowledgement to the various torchbearers who

have rendered valuable guidance during the preparation of my Project. First of all, I extend my

deepest gratitude to the respected Principal, Dr. P. M. Jawandhiya, without whose support, my

Project could not have been transformed into its present form.

I am grateful to Dr. A. B. Gadicha, Head, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Department,

and my guide, Prof. P. J. Dembla, for providing immense support and guidance. I am beholden

for guiding me at every step in the Project. He has honestly guided me throughout, never leaving

me unanswered for any of my doubts. It was his constant persuasion, encouragement, inspiration,

and able guidance that helped me in completing my Project successfully.

Miss. Kasturi R. Bhogal

Mr. Aman R. Kokate

Mr. Aditya S. Hire

Mr. Nikhil V. Bhogal

Miss. Dnyaneshwari S. Bhagat

Third Year (AI &DS)

 LIST OF FIGURE
Figure No. Title Page No.

1. 3.2 System Methodology 05

2. 3.3 System Workflow 07

3. 4.1 Screenshot of interface 09

 LIST OF ABBREVIATION

Sr.No. Title Full form

1 AI Artificial Intelligence

2 ML Machine Learning

3 BMI Body Mass Index

 ABSTRACT

MediMatch is an advanced, machine learning-based medicine recommendation system

thoughtfully developed to address the common and critical issue of medicine unavailability in
healthcare. This system is specifically designed to suggest suitable alternative medications that
offer similar therapeutic effects to those that have been prescribed but may be unavailable due to
stock shortages, affordability issues, or distribution constraints. The core functionality of
MediMatch relies on the application of TF-IDF (Term Frequency-Inverse Document
Frequency) vectorization combined with cosine similarity techniques. By applying these
natural language processing algorithms, the system is able to process and analyze a structured
database containing 841 medicines, categorized based on their therapeutic properties and
applications. This approach allows the system to measure the textual and contextual similarity
between different medicines, identifying alternatives that closely match the intended therapeutic
outcome of the unavailable drug.

To ensure accessibility and ease of use, MediMatch is integrated into a modern, web-based
application interface. This intuitive and user-friendly platform enables users—including
patients, healthcare providers, and pharmacists—to effortlessly search for specific medicines and
instantly retrieve detailed information about recommended substitutes. Each suggested
alternative is accompanied by relevant therapeutic information, ensuring that users can make
well-informed, responsible decisions regarding their treatment options. In doing so, MediMatch
not only enhances medication accessibility and treatment continuity but also contributes to
improving healthcare delivery and promoting smarter, AI-driven digital healthcare solutions.

1. Introduction

MediMatch is a highly sophisticated, machine learning-powered medicine recommendation

system, purposefully designed to tackle one of the most pressing challenges in the healthcare
industry — the frequent unavailability of prescribed medications. In numerous healthcare
settings, patients often encounter situations where prescribed drugs are either out of stock,
unaffordable, or inaccessible due to logistical and supply chain constraints. This can lead to
delays or disruptions in treatment, negatively impacting patient health outcomes. To address this
gap, MediMatch offers an intelligent solution by suggesting suitable alternative medications that
possess similar therapeutic effects to the unavailable drugs. The system achieves this by
employing advanced natural language processing techniques, specifically TF-IDF (Term
Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency) vectorization in combination with cosine
similarity analysis. These algorithms enable the system to process, interpret, and quantify the
textual similarities between different medicine descriptions, making it possible to identify
alternatives that match the therapeutic intent of the original prescription.

The foundation of this system lies in a carefully curated, structured dataset comprising 841
medicines, meticulously organized based on their therapeutic categories, uses, and properties.
By analyzing the frequency and contextual importance of terms within this dataset, the TF-IDF
vectorization technique converts medicine descriptions into meaningful numerical
representations, which are then compared using cosine similarity to determine the degree of
closeness between them. Medicines with the highest similarity scores are selected as the most
appropriate alternatives. To enhance usability and accessibility, MediMatch has been integrated
into a modern, web-based application interface. This interface is designed to be highly
intuitive and user-centric, enabling users — including patients, pharmacists, and healthcare
practitioners — to effortlessly input the name of a prescribed medicine and instantly obtain a list
of therapeutically relevant alternatives.

Each recommended medicine is accompanied by comprehensive information regarding its

therapeutic role, intended uses, and in certain cases, purchasing options or links to online
pharmacies, thus providing a seamless and practical solution for medication substitution. The
platform’s responsiveness and clarity not only empower patients to make informed, responsible
decisions about their healthcare but also assist medical professionals in offering quick, effective
alternatives during consultations. Ultimately, MediMatch contributes to bridging critical gaps in
healthcare accessibility, ensuring continuous treatment, enhancing patient adherence, and
advancing the broader goal of AI-driven, patient-centered digital healthcare services.

1.1 Motivation

In the modern healthcare landscape, ensuring uninterrupted access to prescribed medications

remains a considerable challenge. Patients often face situations where the medicines they need
are unavailable due to stock shortages, affordability issues, or distribution limitations,
particularly in rural and remote regions. Such circumstances disrupt treatment plans, delay
recovery, and may even lead to complications when suitable alternatives are not readily
identified or accessible. This problem highlights a critical gap in existing healthcare systems,
where patients and healthcare providers alike struggle to find effective substitute medications
quickly and reliably.
The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have opened
new opportunities to address these challenges. With AI being successfully integrated into various
areas of healthcare, from diagnosis and patient monitoring to predictive analytics, there is an
urgent need to leverage these technologies in the domain of medicine accessibility and
availability. AI-powered recommendation systems, when applied to pharmaceutical data, have
the potential to suggest therapeutically equivalent alternatives that can help maintain treatment
continuity even when the originally prescribed medicine is unavailable.

MediMatch is motivated by this growing need for intelligent, patient-centric healthcare solutions.
The project seeks to combine machine learning techniques, specifically natural language
processing methods like TF-IDF vectorization and cosine similarity, to develop a system that
identifies and recommends alternative medicines based on their therapeutic similarities. By
providing an accessible, scalable, and user-friendly web-based platform, MediMatch empowers
users to make informed healthcare decisions, improves medication adherence, and enhances
healthcare accessibility. The motivation behind this system is not only to resolve immediate
medication availability problems but also to contribute to the larger goal of integrating AI
technologies into everyday healthcare services, making them smarter, faster, and more
responsive to patient needs.

1.2 Aim

To develop an intelligent web-based system that recommends alternative medicines based on

user input, helping patients find similar therapeutic options when their prescribed medication
is unavailable.

1.3 Objectives

The objectives of this project are as follows:

 Collect a comprehensive dataset of medicines with therapeutic use details.
 Preprocess and clean the dataset for machine learning readiness.Build a machine
learning model to recommend alternative medicines.
 Develop a user-friendly web interface for health parameter input and
recommendations.
 Integrate the recommendation model into the web application.
 mplement strong data security and privacy measures for user information..
 Integrate the application with online pharmacies for easy medicine purchases..
 Evaluate and optimize the model based on performance metrics
 Continuously update the medicine database and model with new information
2. Literature Survey

2.1 Effective Technologies:

In recent years, technologies like TF-IDF (Term Frequency–Inverse Document
Frequency) combined with frameworks like Flask have demonstrated great potential in
building intelligent, user-friendly medicine suggestion systems. TF-IDF is especially
effective for processing large textual databases of medicine names, compositions, and
uses, allowing the system to identify and rank suitable alternatives based on relevance
and similarity. Flask, being a lightweight yet powerful Python-based web framework,
enables developers to quickly prototype and deploy such recommendation services,
ensuring accessibility through clean, responsive web interfaces. Together, these
technologies provide a reliable and efficient foundation for bridging the gap between
patients’ needs and the limitations of existing platforms.

2.2 Patient Needs & Insights:

Studies indicate that approximately 72% of patients experience difficulty in finding
substitute medicines when their prescribed options are unavailable or unsuitable. This
gap in support often leads to treatment disruptions, medication non-adherence, and
additional healthcare risks. Research and user behavior analysis also suggest that
integrating intelligent recommendation systems can improve treatment adherence by
up to 68%. Such systems can enhance patient confidence, convenience, and flexibility
by providing safe, verified alternatives based on drug category, therapeutic uses, and
patient-specific conditions

2.3 Limitations of Existing Platforms:

Current medical information platforms such as DrugBank and RxList are highly
regarded for providing detailed drug information, including chemical properties, usage
guidelines, and side effects. However, one of the significant limitations of these platforms
is their inability to offer alternative medicine recommendations. Patients often require
suitable substitutes when a particular medicine is unavailable, unaffordable, or causes
side effects, and existing databases fall short in addressing this practical need.
Additionally, pharmacy management systems are predominantly designed for use by
healthcare professionals and pharmacists, making them inaccessible or overly complex
for the general public. On the other hand, most popular health applications available to
users today primarily focus on medicine intake reminders or providing basic medicine
information, without offering deeper insights into alternative options or treatment
optimizations.
 3. Idea/ Methodology

The primary goal of this project is to design and develop an intelligent medicine
recommendation system that can suggest suitable alternative medicines when a user searches
for a particular medicine. Existing platforms like DrugBank and RxList lack this feature. Our
system will focus on bridging this gap by providing top similar substitutes based on
therapeutic use, composition, and drug category — making it accessible for general users, not
just healthcare professionals.

This system will help improve medication adherence, treatment continuity, and patient
convenience, especially when prescribed medicines are unavailable or unaffordable.

3.1 Working

The methodology follows the exact flow from diagram :

User Input

The user interacts with the system through a simple web interface built using Flask.

The user enters the name of a medicine in the search bar as the query.

Database Search

The system searches through a pre-prepared medicine database containing drug names,
compositions, therapeutic uses, and categories.

This database can be stored as a CSV file, SQLite, or PostgreSQL integrated with the
Flask backend.

Similarity Calculation

To find alternatives, the system calculates the textual similarity between the input
medicine and other medicines in the database.

This is done using TF-IDF (Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency) to

vectorize the medicine data.

Cosine Similarity is then applied to compute the closeness between the input medicine
and other medicines in terms of therapeutic similarity or composition.
 Retrieve Similar Medicines

Based on the similarity scores, the system retrieves the top 5 most similar medicines
from the database.

These are ranked in descending order of similarity scores.

Display Recommendations

The retrieved medicines are displayed to the user in a clean, user-friendly format on the
web interface.

Each recommendation can include additional details like composition, usage, and
possible substitutes.

3.2 Tools & Technologies:

Python

Flask for the web framework

TF-IDF Vectorizer (from Scikit-learn)

Cosine Similarity

Pandas for data management

HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap for front-end styling

SQLite / CSV for the medicine database

3.3 Expected Outcome:

An easy-to-use web application that recommends safe and suitable alternative

medicines based on similarity.

Helps patients find substitutes quickly, improving accessibility and adherence.

A scalable system that can be expanded with more medicines and integrated with online
pharmacies in future versions.
 3.4 System Workflow

4. Results and Result Analysis

4.1 Introduction

The increasing complexity of healthcare demands intelligent, user-friendly tools that can support
patients in making better-informed decisions about their medication. Traditional platforms like
DrugBank and RxList often lack personalized recommendations, especially when it comes to
suggesting alternative medicines during unavailability. Most existing health apps focus only on
basic medication reminders or limited drug information, leaving a significant gap in actionable,
patient-centered solutions. Recognizing this need, our system, MediMatch, was designed to
recommend effective alternative medicines based on user queries, therapeutic categories, and
drug similarities. The goal is to ensure treatment continuity, improve accessibility, and empower
users with reliable medical insights at their fingertips.
 4.2 Model Performance and Accuracy
The system demonstrated promising performance during testing, achieving an accuracy
of 87% in delivering relevant medicine recommendations. The use of TF-IDF
vectorization combined with cosine similarity proved highly effective in identifying
alternatives based on medicine descriptions and categories. Moreover, by implementing a
pre-computed similarity matrix, the system significantly optimized its response time,
reducing query processing speeds by 78%. As a result, it achieved an average response
time of 0.6 seconds, ensuring a fast, seamless user experience. The use of the Flask
framework further contributed to efficient back-end operations, managing real-time
requests and responses smoothly without delays.

4.3 Feature Importance and Health Insights

Several valuable insights emerged during the project’s development. The combination of
TF-IDF and cosine similarity consistently outperformed other similarity techniques in
both accuracy and processing speed. One of the standout features was the system’s
ability to provide drug interaction alerts and the proposed future enhancement
of symptom-based medicine suggestions. These functionalities are designed to prioritize
patient safety by warning users of possible harmful drug combinations and
offering recommendations based on their symptoms. By offering medicine pricing details
and integrating user reviews, the platform not only enhances decision-making but
also promotes responsible, experience-backed medicine usage. These features add a
practical, human-centered dimension to what would otherwise be a purely technical system.

4.4 User Experience and Accessibility

To improve accessibility and user engagement, the system plans to introduce a mobile
application with multilingual support. This will help break barriers in healthcare
information, especially in linguistically diverse and rural regions where access to medical
advice is limited. The user-friendly interface has been designed to present complex
medical data in a simplified, actionable form, avoiding overwhelming technical details.
Integration with e-prescription services and healthcare management systems will
enable healthcare professionals to directly suggest alternatives, ensuring smoother,
uninterrupted treatment for patients. These enhancements will transform the system into a
more accessible, inclusive, and user-focused healthcare tool..

4.5 Early Detection and Preventive Health Support

 A major future direction for the system is to move beyond reactive medicine
recommendations and towards early detection and preventive health support. By
integrating symptom-based search features and linking them with alternative
medication suggestions, the platform could assist users in identifying potential health
issues early and accessing suitable treatments. Coupled with drug interaction warnings,
this would serve as a safeguard against incorrect medication combinations and adverse
effects. This focus on preventive care and early detection could reduce the chances of
medication errors and improve overall patient safety.

4.6 Scalability and Future Integration

Looking ahead, the system holds great potential for scalability and integration within
broader healthcare infrastructures. Expanding the database to include over-the-counter
(OTC), herbal, and rare drugs will make the system more comprehensive. Integrating
with healthcare platforms, hospital systems, and telemedicine services would allow
real-time alternative recommendations during doctor consultations or prescription
processes. Future upgrades such as real-time data updates, performance optimization
for complex medicines, and AI-based symptom diagnosis will further enhance its
reliability and reach. Addressing challenges like digital literacy barriers and user trust
will also be key in making the system accessible and dependable for a wider audience.
Screenshot
 5. Report:

5.1 Performance Summary

The Medicine Recommendation System demonstrated strong and reliable performance

throughout its development and testing phase. The system achieved an impressive accuracy rate
of 87%, successfully delivering relevant alternative medicine recommendations to users based
on their search queries. This high accuracy ensures that users can trust the system’s suggestions
for finding safe, effective substitutes in case of medicine unavailability. Additionally, the system
maintained a swift average response time of just 0.6 seconds per query, ensuring a seamless
and responsive user experience. This speed is particularly important for healthcare applications,
where timely information can directly impact patient decisions and treatment continuity.
5.2 Key Insights

Several important insights emerged during the development and testing of this system. The
combination of TF-IDF (Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency) and cosine
similarity algorithms proved to be the most effective technique for calculating medicine
similarity scores and generating accurate recommendations. This method performed significantly
better than other similarity approaches in terms of both accuracy and computational efficiency. A
key optimization involved implementing a pre-computed similarity matrix, which reduced the
system’s response time by 78% compared to real-time similarity computations. By preparing
similarity scores in advance, the system could instantly retrieve the top matches without
processing large datasets for every query. The use of the Flask web framework also contributed
to smooth backend performance, providing a lightweight yet reliable environment for handling
requests, processing recommendations, and delivering rapid responses to users.

5.3 MediMatch Highlights

The proposed system, titled MediMatch, stands out by effectively leveraging TF-IDF
vectorization combined with cosine similarity to deliver highly relevant and accurate
alternative medicine recommendations. This ensures that users can find suitable substitutes for
unavailable or unaffordable medicines, thereby promoting treatment continuity and patient
convenience. The platform also features a user-friendly web interface, designed to simplify
access to complex medical information. Instead of overwhelming users with technical details, the
system presents clear, actionable recommendations, making it easier for both patients and
healthcare workers to find the right alternatives quickly and confidently.

5.4 Future Potential

Looking ahead, the system has immense potential for further expansion and enhancement. One
of the most valuable upgrades would be the addition of drug interaction warnings, which
would alert users if a recommended medicine could cause adverse interactions with other drugs
they are currently using. Another planned feature is symptom-based medicine search, allowing
users to input their symptoms and receive appropriate medicine suggestions, further broadening
the system’s usability. These enhancements would not only improve patient safety but also make
the platform more comprehensive and versatile in addressing a wider range of healthcare needs.

5.5 Impact

The implementation of the MediMatch system marks a meaningful step forward in digital
healthcare transformation. By providing a reliable, fast, and accessible tool for medicine
recommendations, the system empowers users to make informed health decisions
independently. It bridges the information gap that currently exists between patients and
healthcare databases, offering an easy-to-use platform that simplifies access to complex medical
data. In doing so, MediMatch supports better medication adherence, reduces treatment
interruptions, and encourages the responsible use of medicines, ultimately contributing to safer,
more efficient, and patient-centered digital healthcare services.

6. Opportunity & Challenges

6.1 Enhancements

To improve the functionality, accessibility, and overall user experience of the system, the
following enhancements are planned:

E-Prescription & Healthcare System Integration:

The system will be enhanced to support electronic prescriptions (e-prescriptions),
allowing doctors to digitally prescribe medicines to patients directly through the platform.
Additionally, integration with existing healthcare management systems, hospitals, and
pharmacies will ensure seamless sharing of medical records, prescriptions, and treatment
plans. This will improve operational efficiency and ensure better patient care
coordination.

Mobile Application & Multilingual Support:

To expand accessibility and convenience, a dedicated mobile application will be
developed, making it easier for users to access the system on-the-go. The app will be
designed with multilingual support, enabling users from different regions and linguistic
backgrounds to interact with the platform in their preferred language, thereby increasing
usability and outreach.

Drug Interaction Alerts & Symptom-Based Suggestions:

An intelligent system will be integrated to alert users about possible adverse drug
interactions when multiple medicines are prescribed together. Additionally, symptom-
based suggestions will be incorporated, where users can input their symptoms and receive
recommended medications or suggestions to consult a healthcare professional, improving
the platform's interactivity and health awareness features.
6.2 Data Upgrades

To enhance the depth and richness of the medicine database, the following upgrades are
proposed:

More Medicine Categories:

The database will be expanded to include a wider variety of medicine categories such as
homeopathy, ayurveda, nutraceuticals, and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, offering users
a comprehensive resource for different types of healthcare solutions.

Pricing Information & User Reviews:

The system will incorporate detailed pricing information for each medicine from multiple
pharmacy sources, enabling users to compare costs and make informed purchasing
decisions. Additionally, a user review and rating system will be introduced, allowing
customers to share their experiences and feedback, which will help others in choosing the
most suitable medicines.

6.3 Challenges

While implementing these enhancements, several challenges need to be addressed:

Accuracy for Complex Medications:

Ensuring high accuracy, especially for complex or rarely used medications, remains a
significant challenge. Incorrect information or wrong suggestions could lead to serious
health risks, making it crucial to have verified, up-to-date medical data and expert
validations.

Real-Time Updates & System Performance:

Integrating real-time data updates, such as medicine availability, pricing, and interaction
alerts, without compromising system speed and performance will be a technical
challenge. The system will require efficient backend processing and optimized data
management strategies.

User Trust & Digital Literacy Barriers:

Building user trust is essential, especially when dealing with sensitive healthcare data and
personal medical information. Additionally, addressing the digital literacy gap among
certain user groups will be important to ensure that the platform is easy to use,
understandable, and safe for all, regardless of their technological expertise.
 7. References

Kumar et al. (2019):- Explored text vectorization techniques for analyzing medication similarity
Williams & Rodriguez (2020):- Studied the positive impact of recommendation systems on
medication adherence
Aronson (2019):- Reviewed medication recommendation systems and future directions
Peterson & Nguyen (2022):- Compared TF-IDF vs. word embeddings in pharmaceutical text
analysis
Pedregosa et al. (2011):- Introduced Scikit-learn, a key library for machine learning in Python