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/321195
  • 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/321195
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.

SIDDHARTHA ACHARYA

Listed Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease
6807 EMMETT F LOWRY EXPRESSWAY, SUITE 108, TEXAS CITY, TX, 77591

2018 Payments: At a Glance

76

payments

$2,899

payment total

16

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 66 $1,698
Travel and Lodging
 10 $1,201

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†
STINGRAY

device

 $1,088
FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER

device

 $275
HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM

device

 $275
HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES

device

 $275
OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM

device

 $275
SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM

device

 $275
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $208
ENTRESTO

drug

 $184
REPATHA

drug

 $170
ABLATION THERAPY HARDWARE

device

 $143
PRALUENT

drug

 $112
IMPELLA

device

 $105
LIFEVEST

device

 $98
OPTIS CORONARY IMAGING SYSTEM

device

 $84
ELIQUIS

drug

 $78
IN.PACT ADMIRAL

device

 $77
REVEAL LINQ

device

 $77
COREVALVE EVOLUT

device

 $76
CORLANOR

drug

 $48
CHANTIX

drug

 $26
† 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/321195

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Nov 11, 2018 $507 STINGRAY Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 9, 2018 $318 STINGRAY Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 27, 2018 $152 FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Mar 13, 2018 $143 ABLATION THERAPY HARDWARE Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 4, 2018 $131 No Listed Product Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Mar 20, 2018 $122 REPATHA Food and Beverage AMGEN INC.
Nov 12, 2018 $109 STINGRAY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 20, 2018 $105 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Jul 27, 2018 $91 FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Dec 12, 2018 $84 OPTIS CORONARY IMAGING SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Dec 10, 2018 $77 No Listed Product Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Sep 7, 2018 $76 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 11, 2018 $37 STINGRAY Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 10, 2018 $35 IN.PACT ADMIRAL Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $27 IN.PACT ADMIRAL Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Oct 17, 2018 $25 PRALUENT Food and Beverage SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
Nov 13, 2018 $24 STINGRAY Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 29, 2018 $24 PRALUENT Food and Beverage REGENERON HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Dec 12, 2018 $24 ENTRESTO Food and Beverage NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
Dec 4, 2018 $23 PRALUENT Food and Beverage REGENERON HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS, 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/321195

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.