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/72446
  • 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/72446
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.

ALPHONSE AMBROSIA

Listed Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease
6116 E ARBOR AVE, SUITE 112, MESA, AZ, 85206-6107

2018 Payments: At a Glance

131

payments

$13,147

payment total

30

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 3 $8,400
Food and Beverage
 127 $3,247
Promotional Speaking/Other
 1 $1,500

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†
IVUS SYSTEMS

device

 $8,400
IGT_D SYSTEMS

device

 $1,590
COREVALVE EVOLUT

device

 $331
IMPELLA

device

 $299
ELIQUIS

drug

 $221
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $211
CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM

device

 $194
SYNERGY

device

 $164
XIENCE ALPINE CORNARY STENT SYSTEM

device

 $155
EKOSONIC

device

 $125
CLOSUREFAST

device

 $119
BRILINTA

drug

 $111
IGT_D CORONARY

device

 $105
IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY DEVICES _ CORONARY

device

 $91
AZUR

device

 $84
GLIDEWIRE

device

 $84
NAVICROSS

device

 $84
REPATHA

drug

 $79
ELCA

device

 $69
LIFEVEST

device

 $66
† 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/72446

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Apr 27, 2018 $4,000 IVUS SYSTEMS Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
May 27, 2018 $4,000 IVUS SYSTEMS Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Feb 9, 2018 $1,500 IGT_D SYSTEMS Promotional Speaking/Other PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Apr 17, 2018 $400 IVUS SYSTEMS Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Aug 8, 2018 $194 CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Mar 27, 2018 $155 XIENCE ALPINE CORNARY STENT SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 13, 2018 $145 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Aug 16, 2018 $129 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Sep 26, 2018 $123 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Oct 10, 2018 $119 CLOSUREFAST Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 25, 2018 $106 SYNERGY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 22, 2018 $105 IGT_D CORONARY Food and Beverage PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Apr 25, 2018 $103 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $91 IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY DEVICES _ CORONARY Food and Beverage PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Sep 21, 2018 $90 IGT_D SYSTEMS Food and Beverage PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Feb 20, 2018 $84 NAVICROSS AZUR GLIDEWIRE Food and Beverage TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Jan 31, 2018 $69 ELCA Food and Beverage PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Jan 18, 2018 $61 BRILINTA Food and Beverage ASTRAZENECA PHARMACEUTICALS LP
Jan 29, 2018 $50 EKOSONIC Food and Beverage EKOS CORPORATION
Sep 21, 2018 $48 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, 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/72446

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.