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/194509
  • 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/194509
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.

JOHN HEMPHILL

Listed Specialty: Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology
6602 WATERS AVE, BUILDING C, SAVANNAH, GA, 31406-2778

2018 Payments: At a Glance

676

payments

$354,084

payment total

34

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
 112 $261K
Travel and Lodging
 90 $51,798
Consulting
 7 $28,303
Food and Beverage
 466 $12,609
Education
 1 $51

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†
AIMOVIG

drug

 $49,113
LEMTRADA

drug

 $43,727
AUBAGIO

drug

 $37,092
FYCOMPA

drug

 $35,559
TYSABRI

drug

 $30,258
OCREVUS

drug

 $29,781
GILENYA

drug

 $23,231
BOTOX

drug

 $22,791
TECFIDERA

drug

 $19,971
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $19,460
AJOVY

drug

 $19,099
AMPYRA

drug

 $9,536
AUSTEDO

drug

 $9,450
ZINBRYTA

drug

 $8,269
APTIOM

drug

 $7,880
REBIF

drug

 $5,546
PLEGRIDY

drug

 $2,783
VNS THERAPY

device

 $1,579
TROKENDI XR

drug

 $205
ACTHAR

drug

 $203
† 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/194509

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jan 22, 2018 $6,518 TYSABRI TECFIDERA ZINBRYTA Consulting BIOGEN, INC.
Oct 27, 2018 $6,475 No Listed Product Consulting CELGENE CORPORATION
Nov 15, 2018 $4,608 LEMTRADA Promotional Speaking/Other GENZYME CORPORATION
Aug 30, 2018 $4,608 LEMTRADA Promotional Speaking/Other GENZYME CORPORATION
Mar 8, 2018 $4,608 AUBAGIO Promotional Speaking/Other GENZYME CORPORATION
Mar 1, 2018 $4,608 LEMTRADA Promotional Speaking/Other GENZYME CORPORATION
May 7, 2018 $4,608 AUBAGIO Promotional Speaking/Other GENZYME CORPORATION
Jun 13, 2018 $4,365 LEMTRADA Promotional Speaking/Other GENZYME CORPORATION
Jun 21, 2018 $4,050 TYSABRI Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
Sep 27, 2018 $4,050 TYSABRI Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $4,050 TECFIDERA Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
Mar 29, 2018 $4,040 OCREVUS Promotional Speaking/Other GENENTECH USA, INC.
Jun 14, 2018 $4,040 OCREVUS Promotional Speaking/Other GENENTECH USA, INC.
Nov 6, 2018 $4,040 OCREVUS Promotional Speaking/Other GENENTECH USA, INC.
Nov 29, 2018 $4,040 OCREVUS Promotional Speaking/Other GENENTECH USA, INC.
Dec 5, 2018 $3,880 AUBAGIO Promotional Speaking/Other GENZYME CORPORATION
Sep 14, 2018 $3,800 OCREVUS Consulting GENENTECH, INC.
May 16, 2018 $3,638 AUBAGIO Promotional Speaking/Other GENZYME CORPORATION
Apr 12, 2018 $3,600 TYSABRI Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
May 22, 2018 $3,600 AIMOVIG Promotional Speaking/Other AMGEN 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/194509

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.