Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/
You can print this page and show it to your doctor.

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

ProPublica's Dollars for Docs database lets you search for payments to U.S.-based doctors made by pharmaceutical and medical device companies between August 2013 and December 2018. The disclosure of these payments is required under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, a provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

About This Information

  • The information that appears here comes directly from the federal government. Companies must attest to its accuracy, and doctors have the ability to contest information they believe is in error.
  • This site includes payments for such activities as speaking, consulting, meals, travel and royalties. It does not include payments for clinical research.
  • It is legal for companies to make payments to doctors as long as the payments are not a kickback or inducement to use their products.
  • Some doctors say collaborative relationships, particularly those involving research, are necessary to develop new treatments and cures. But many ethicists have raised questions about the payments, and studies show that they may influence doctors' prescribing decisions.
  • Only you can decide if this matters to you and if so, whether you want to talk with your doctor about it. If you plan to talk with your doctor (or if you already have), please help us by filling out this short survey: propub.li/participate-d4d

Preparing for Your Conversation

If you decide you'd like to talk to your doctor about this, please keep in mind:

  • Many health care 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.
  • Your doctor may not know he or she is listed as receiving payments, especially if the payments are small. You can direct your doctor to this site (the URL will be printed at the top of the payment record) or directly to the government's site here: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/1016133
  • Some doctors are happy to discuss this information with you. Others might not be. The best approach is to ask questions and to not be accusatory.

Questions You Might Want to Ask

  • Is this you?
  • What type of work do you do with these companies?
  • Have you prescribed me any drugs that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?
  • Are there non-drug alternatives that I may want to consider first?
  • Are there less expensive generic alternatives to the drugs you have prescribed?
  • What devices have you used in my care that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?

Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/1016133
If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

AMAR PATEL

Listed Specialty: Pain Medicine
1441 CLIFTON RD NE, ATLANTA, GA, 30322-1004

2018 Payments: At a Glance

160

payments

$6,601

payment total

25

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 14 $3,571
Food and Beverage
 146 $3,030

Drugs & Devices in 2018

Totals listed below account for all payments from that mention this product. Beginning in 2016, the government began classifying products as drugs, devices, biologics or medical supplies. Below, you will see drugs (drugs and biologics) and devices (devices and medical supplies). If a payment record mentions more than one product, the entire value will be included in each of those products. When no products are listed, they are not included in the list below.

Product Name Product Type Payments†
SYNCHROMED

device

 $1,770
SUPERION ISS

device

 $1,332
KYPHON BALLOON KYPHOPLASTY

device

 $1,023
AXIUM INS DRG IPG

device

 $560
INTELLIS

device

 $311
RESTORE

device

 $198
XTAMPZA

drug

 $140
SPECIFY

device

 $128
EMBEDA

drug

 $126
FLECTOR PATCH

drug

 $126
LYRICA

drug

 $126
GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT

device

 $121
NEUROMODULATION DSPSBLS AND ACCS

device

 $111
RELISTOR

drug

 $60
ADAPTIVESTIM

device

 $58
LEVORPHANOL

drug

 $57
HORIZANT

drug

 $57
VECTRIS

device

 $49
BOTOX

drug

 $48
BUNAVAIL

drug

 $41
† May not add up to dollar total at top of page, since a payment record may not be associated with any product or can be associated with several products.

For ease of printing, only the 20 drugs and devices with the highest payments are displayed. For a complete list, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/1016133

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Sep 14, 2018 $646 SYNCHROMED Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 27, 2018 $607 SUPERION ISS Travel and Lodging VERTIFLEX, INC.
Aug 4, 2018 $517 KYPHON BALLOON KYPHOPLASTY Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 31, 2018 $466 SUPERION ISS Travel and Lodging VERTIFLEX, INC.
Oct 16, 2018 $448 AXIUM INS DRG IPG Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 4, 2018 $269 KYPHON BALLOON KYPHOPLASTY Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Sep 14, 2018 $223 SYNCHROMED Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Sep 14, 2018 $183 SYNCHROMED Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 25, 2018 $139 RESTORE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 14, 2018 $137 SUPERION ISS Travel and Lodging VERTIFLEX, INC.
Aug 22, 2018 $128 SYNCHROMED Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Sep 14, 2018 $124 SYNCHROMED Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Sep 19, 2018 $123 INTELLIS Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 16, 2018 $111 NEUROMODULATION DSPSBLS AND ACCS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 14, 2018 $106 SYNCHROMED Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Aug 21, 2018 $106 GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 14, 2018 $104 SYNCHROMED Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 23, 2018 $104 AXIUM INS DRG IPG Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jun 26, 2018 $87 SPECIFY Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 22, 2018 $84 INTELLIS Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.

For ease of printing, 20 payments are displayed, the largest appearing on top. For a full list of payments, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/1016133

Note: We have made some effort to normalize the data and eliminate duplicates, but the data is primarily as it has been reported by the companies to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. To purchase the normalized data, please visit the ProPublica Data Store. If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This site includes data published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on June 28, 2019.