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/164483
  • 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/164483
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.

STEPHEN ESPOSITO

Listed Specialty: Gastroenterology
2619 FRANCIS LEWIS BLVD, FLUSHING, NY, 11358-1145

2018 Payments: At a Glance

178

payments

$44,190

payment total

25

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
 10 $23,500
Honoraria
 2 $8,567
Travel and Lodging
 17 $5,849
Food and Beverage
 148 $3,574
Consulting
 1 $2,700

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†
MAVYRET

drug

 $14,901
EPCLUSA

drug

 $11,834
FIBROSCAN

device

 $9,551
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $6,016
LINZESS

drug

 $330
VIBERZI

drug

 $227
CIMZIA

drug

 $186
CANASA

drug

 $170
XIFAXAN

drug

 $160
TRULANCE

drug

 $147
GATTEX

drug

 $130
ENTYVIO

drug

 $118
CLENPIQ

drug

 $115
XELJANZ

drug

 $107
OCALIVA

drug

 $96
HUMIRA

drug

 $85
NEXAVAR

drug

 $44
STIVARGA

drug

 $44
SYMPROIC

drug

 $42
AMITIZA

drug

 $40
† 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/164483

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jan 16, 2018 $4,532 FIBROSCAN Honoraria ECHOSENS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Jan 16, 2018 $4,035 FIBROSCAN Honoraria ECHOSENS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
May 3, 2018 $3,000 EPCLUSA Promotional Speaking/Other GILEAD SCIENCES INC Hepatobiliary Associates of New York
Mar 29, 2018 $2,700 No Listed Product Consulting GILEAD SCIENCES INC Hepatobiliary Associates of New York
Aug 1, 2018 $2,500 MAVYRET Promotional Speaking/Other ABBVIE, INC. Stephen P Esposito MD
Mar 20, 2018 $2,500 MAVYRET Promotional Speaking/Other ABBVIE, INC. Stephen P Esposito MD
Apr 24, 2018 $2,500 MAVYRET Promotional Speaking/Other ABBVIE, INC. Stephen P Esposito MD
Sep 11, 2018 $2,500 MAVYRET Promotional Speaking/Other ABBVIE, INC. Stephen P Esposito MD
Feb 20, 2018 $2,500 MAVYRET Promotional Speaking/Other ABBVIE, INC. Stephen P Esposito MD
Oct 15, 2018 $2,000 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other GILEAD SCIENCES INC Stephen P. Esposito, MD, PC
May 21, 2018 $2,000 EPCLUSA Promotional Speaking/Other GILEAD SCIENCES INC Stephen P. Esposito, MD, PC
Feb 12, 2018 $2,000 EPCLUSA Promotional Speaking/Other GILEAD SCIENCES INC Stephen P. Esposito, MD, PC
Feb 26, 2018 $2,000 EPCLUSA Promotional Speaking/Other GILEAD SCIENCES INC Stephen P. Esposito, MD, PC
Apr 18, 2018 $748 MAVYRET Travel and Lodging ABBVIE, INC.
Apr 4, 2018 $713 FIBROSCAN Travel and Lodging ECHOSENS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Feb 8, 2018 $672 EPCLUSA Travel and Lodging GILEAD SCIENCES INC
Mar 15, 2018 $627 MAVYRET Travel and Lodging ABBVIE, INC.
May 17, 2018 $625 EPCLUSA Travel and Lodging GILEAD SCIENCES INC
Mar 29, 2018 $407 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging GILEAD SCIENCES INC
Jul 25, 2018 $370 MAVYRET Travel and Lodging ABBVIE, 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/164483

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.