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/294610
  • 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/294610
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.

ANDREW PHAM

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
169 ASHLEY AVE, ROOM 202 MAIN HOSPITAL, CHARLESTON, SC, 29425-8905

2018 Payments: At a Glance

48

payments

$7,067

payment total

8

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 14 $4,967
Food and Beverage
 34 $2,101

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†
VIPER

device

 $2,959
TLIF

device

 $2,123
XLIF

device

 $1,977
PASS-LP

device

 $1,069
UNID

device

 $1,069
EXPEDIUM

device

 $371
OSTEOCEL

device

 $217
IGA

device

 $168
IC GRAFT CHAMBER

device

 $145
NAVIGATION

device

 $107
SYNFIX

device

 $107
TITAN ENDOSKELETON

device

 $98
TITAN NANOLOCK

device

 $98
MAXCESS-C

device

 $87
ACIS

device

 $76
TRITANIUM

device

 $55
VITOSS

device

 $55
ES2

device

 $44
COHERE

device

 $44
OPTIO-C

device

 $42
† 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/294610

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 10, 2018 $1,816 VIPER Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Jul 2, 2018 $752 XLIF TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 10, 2018 $562 VIPER Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Dec 6, 2018 $561 PASS-LP UNID Travel and Lodging MEDICREA USA, CORP.
Jul 15, 2018 $508 XLIF TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Dec 16, 2018 $468 PASS-LP UNID Travel and Lodging MEDICREA USA, CORP.
Dec 5, 2018 $145 IC GRAFT CHAMBER Food and Beverage LIFENET HEALTH INC.
Jun 29, 2018 $126 OSTEOCEL TLIF XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 10, 2018 $123 VIPER Food and Beverage MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Sep 26, 2018 $108 TLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 24, 2018 $107 EXPEDIUM SYNFIX VIPER NAVIGATION Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Oct 25, 2018 $98 TITAN ENDOSKELETON TITAN NANOLOCK Food and Beverage TITAN SPINE, LLC
May 2, 2018 $96 EXPEDIUM Food and Beverage MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Jul 2, 2018 $95 TLIF XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 26, 2018 $91 OSTEOCEL TLIF IGA XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 14, 2018 $87 MAXCESS-C Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 13, 2018 $85 XLIF TLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Jun 5, 2018 $80 VIPER Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Jun 12, 2018 $74 EXPEDIUM Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Aug 11, 2018 $65 VIPER Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES 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/294610

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.