Talking With Your Doctor About Pharmaceutical Company Payments

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ProPublica's Dollars for Docs database lets people search for payments to healthcare professionals made by 15 pharmaceutical companies, which account for about 47 percent of U.S. drug sales. The database includes the following payment record:

• Payee: KAPLAN, EDWARD
• Amount paid: $28,431
• Company paying: Boehringer Ingelheim
• Payment for: Research


• Listed practitioner: Edward Kaplan
• Location: Skokie, Ill.
• Reported: Jan. to Dec. 2013

Important notes

Research payments are distinct from speaking and consulting. Payments for clinical studies may include costs associated with patient care, supplies, as well as the time spent by health care professionals treating patients and managing the study. The figure listed does not reflect the actual compensation received by the physician listed as the principal investigator.

ProPublica last downloaded this record on Sept. 9, 2014, and includes the name of the health provider who performed the service and, when reported, the entity paid. They may be different.

Things to keep in mind before speaking to your doctor

• Many healthcare professionals in our database have similar names, so you should start by asking your doctor if the person mentioned in this payment record is really him/her.
• Pharmaceutical companies make payments for many reasons, from research to speaking to consulting. They payments are legal, but studies show they can influence a doctor's prescribing decisions.
• Your doctor may not know he or she is listed in Dollars for Docs, especially if the payments are small.

For additional information on Boehringer Ingelheim's notable drugs

• Aggrenox
• Aptivus
• Atrovent
• Catapres
• Combivent
• Gilotrif
• Micardis
• Mirapex
• Pradaxa
• Spiriva
• Tradjenta
• Viramune

Boehringer Ingelheim provides a list of all of its drugs at . To read how Boehringer Ingelheim describes its relationship with healthcare professionals, read more at: http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com/our_responsibility/responsible_business_practices/corporate_compliance_program/cia_reporting_requirements.html.