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/29602
  • 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/29602
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.

CHARLES RUZKOWSKI

Listed Specialty: Gastroenterology
1600 N GRAND AVE, SUITE 150, PUEBLO, CO, 81003-2749

2018 Payments: At a Glance

34

payments

$945

payment total

15

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 33 $854
Education
 1 $91

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†
EPCLUSA

drug

 $125
ELEVIEW

device

 $125
XELJANZ

drug

 $97
REMICADE

drug

 $91
VIO300D

device

 $83
HUMIRA

drug

 $67
GENERAL BILIARY DEVICES

device

 $58
VIBERZI

drug

 $55
TRULANCE

drug

 $42
SIMPONI

drug

 $36
STELARA

drug

 $36
ENTYVIO

drug

 $29
CANASA

drug

 $28
LINZESS

drug

 $28
DEXILANT

drug

 $28
AMITIZA

drug

 $23
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $20
RELISTOR

drug

 $17
XIFAXAN

drug

 $17
CLENPIQ

drug

 $15
† 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/29602

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 20, 2018 $125 ELEVIEW Food and Beverage ARIES PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Feb 12, 2018 $125 EPCLUSA Food and Beverage GILEAD SCIENCES INC
Nov 1, 2018 $91 REMICADE Education JANSSEN BIOTECH, INC.
Nov 5, 2018 $83 VIO300D Food and Beverage ERBE USA INC
Dec 14, 2018 $73 XELJANZ Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.
Nov 5, 2018 $58 GENERAL BILIARY DEVICES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 22, 2018 $53 HUMIRA Food and Beverage ABBVIE, INC.
Nov 1, 2018 $18 TRULANCE Food and Beverage SYNERGY PHARMACEUTICALS INC
Jan 2, 2018 $17 RELISTOR XIFAXAN Food and Beverage SALIX PHARMACEUTICALS, A DIVISION OF BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC
Aug 7, 2018 $16 LINZESS VIBERZI CANASA Food and Beverage IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
Mar 6, 2018 $15 CLENPIQ Food and Beverage FERRING PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
Jul 24, 2018 $14 ENTYVIO Food and Beverage TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS U.S.A., INC.
Aug 27, 2018 $14 XELJANZ Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.
Jan 24, 2018 $14 ENTYVIO Food and Beverage TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS U.S.A., INC.
Oct 16, 2018 $14 STELARA SIMPONI Food and Beverage JANSSEN BIOTECH, INC.
Oct 11, 2018 $14 VIBERZI Food and Beverage ALLERGAN INC.
Apr 25, 2018 $14 HUMIRA Food and Beverage ABBVIE, INC.
Sep 11, 2018 $13 TRULANCE Food and Beverage SYNERGY PHARMACEUTICALS INC
May 1, 2018 $13 LINZESS VIBERZI CANASA Food and Beverage IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
Jan 30, 2018 $12 No Listed Product Food and Beverage PROMETHEUS LABORATORIES 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/29602

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.