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/238697
  • 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/238697
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.


ROBERT CHEN

Listed Specialty: Internal Medicine
9660 WICKER AVE, SAINT JOHN, IN, 46373-9487

2018 Payments: At a Glance

31

payments

$25,574

payment total

17

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
3 $12,895
Promotional Speaking/Other
1 $12,000
Food and Beverage
26 $672
Education
1 $7

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
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$25,242
TRINTELLIX

drug

$41
LIVALO

drug

$41
VASCEPA

drug

$41
CHANTIX

drug

$30
LYRICA

drug

$30
GARDASIL

drug

$29
PNEUMOVAX 23

drug

$29
LINZESS

drug

$26
XIFAXAN

drug

$24
CLOSUREFAST

device

$19
BASAGLAR

drug

$17
TRULICITY

drug

$17
SPIRIVA RESPIMAT

drug

$16
STIOLTO RESPIMAT

drug

$16
AIMOVIG

drug

$15
REPATHA

drug

$15
ROTATEQ

drug

$15
ADVAIR

drug

$14
FLOVENT

drug

$14
† 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/238697

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 24, 2018 $12,000 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Aug 24, 2018 $10,099 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Aug 24, 2018 $1,981 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Aug 24, 2018 $815 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Aug 24, 2018 $174 No Listed Product Food and Beverage TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Aug 24, 2018 $174 No Listed Product Food and Beverage TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Apr 17, 2018 $19 CLOSUREFAST Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Feb 16, 2018 $17 TRULICITY BASAGLAR Food and Beverage LILLY USA, LLC
Dec 3, 2018 $16 STIOLTO RESPIMAT SPIRIVA RESPIMAT Food and Beverage BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Aug 17, 2018 $16 LIVALO VASCEPA Food and Beverage KOWA PHARMACEUTICALS AMERICA, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $16 CHANTIX LYRICA Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.
May 2, 2018 $15 LINZESS Food and Beverage ALLERGAN INC.
Oct 30, 2018 $15 AIMOVIG REPATHA Food and Beverage AMGEN INC.
Mar 9, 2018 $15 ROTATEQ PNEUMOVAX 23 GARDASIL Food and Beverage MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORPORATION
Nov 21, 2018 $14 PNEUMOVAX 23 GARDASIL Food and Beverage MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORPORATION
Mar 23, 2018 $14 ADVAIR FLOVENT Food and Beverage GLAXOSMITHKLINE, LLC.
Sep 18, 2018 $14 CHANTIX LYRICA Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.
Apr 27, 2018 $13 FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE NO PRODUCT DISCUSSED FLUZONE QUADRIVALENT Food and Beverage SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
Jul 11, 2018 $13 LIVALO VASCEPA Food and Beverage KOWA PHARMACEUTICALS AMERICA, INC.
Aug 14, 2018 $13 SYNTHROID Food and Beverage 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/238697

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.