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/855122
  • 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/855122
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.


CHRISTOPHER AMES

Listed Specialty: Neurological Surgery
400 PARNASSUS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 94143-2202

2018 Payments: At a Glance

108

payments

$646,991

payment total

11

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
17 $536K
Consulting
22 $79,660
Promotional Speaking/Other
1 $15,000
Travel and Lodging
26 $12,688
Food and Beverage
42 $3,385

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
EXPEDIUM

device

$367K
AVIATOR

device

$172K
GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION

device

$19,953
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$17,405
PASS-LP

device

$17,400
UNID

device

$17,400
CD HORIZON

device

$16,660
SYNAPSE

device

$12,230
BACS

device

$10,847
ATTRAX

device

$6,967
CALIBER

device

$3,147
ADVANCED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

device

$2,100
VAIL

device

$1,028
SYNFIX

device

$562
VIPER

device

$562
MOUNTAINEER

device

$219
MAGEC

device

$196
SPINE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

device

$139
ARCHON

device

$125
LIFENET VIVIGEN

device

$105
† 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/855122

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Apr 2, 2018 $334,381 EXPEDIUM Royalty or License DEPUY SYNTHES PRODUCTS LLC SPECSS INC
Aug 30, 2018 $45,416 AVIATOR Royalty or License STRYKER CORPORATION SPECSS INC
Mar 28, 2018 $44,096 AVIATOR Royalty or License STRYKER CORPORATION SPECSS INC
May 30, 2018 $42,351 AVIATOR Royalty or License STRYKER CORPORATION SPECSS INC
Nov 29, 2018 $40,461 AVIATOR Royalty or License STRYKER CORPORATION SPECSS INC
May 1, 2018 $18,098 EXPEDIUM Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. SPECSS INC
Dec 7, 2018 $16,795 No Listed Product Royalty or License HYHTE HOLDINGS INC.
Oct 18, 2018 $15,000 CD HORIZON Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC. Specss Inc
May 21, 2018 $11,113 EXPEDIUM Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. SPECSS INC
Sep 28, 2018 $11,000 PASS-LP UNID Consulting MEDICREA USA, CORP.
Apr 4, 2018 $10,000 SYNAPSE Consulting DEPUY SYNTHES PRODUCTS LLC SPECSS INC
Jan 30, 2018 $6,750 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Consulting K2M, INC. SPECSS Inc.
Dec 11, 2018 $6,300 BACS Consulting STRYKER CORPORATION SPECSS, Inc.
Oct 4, 2018 $4,860 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Travel and Lodging K2M, INC.
Sep 25, 2018 $4,200 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Consulting K2M, INC. SPECSS, Inc.
Aug 16, 2018 $2,737 CALIBER Travel and Lodging GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Nov 13, 2018 $2,288 ATTRAX Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 6, 2018 $1,913 PASS-LP UNID Royalty or License MEDICREA USA, CORP.
Aug 13, 2018 $1,869 ATTRAX Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
Dec 4, 2018 $1,500 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Consulting STRYKER CORPORATION SPECSS, 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/855122

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.