Characteristics of Industry Payments to Ophthalmologists in the Open Payments Database

Abstract

IMPORTANCE An increased awareness of the interactions between the medical industry and health care professionals may lead to lower health care costs and more effective health care practices. OBJECTIVE To assess the characteristics of industry payments made to ophthalmologists between 2013 and 2017. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This analysis included data reported in the June 29, 2018, update of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Open Payments Database (OPD). The OPD contains public records of industry payments made to physicians and teaching hospitals from August 1, 2013, to December 31, 2017, as reported by the medical industry. All general or research payments distributed to US ophthalmologists and contained in the OPD were included in this study. Data are summarized by practitioner, manufacturer, payment category, and geographic location. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Main outcomes were the distribution, quantity, and value of payments made to ophthalmologists practicing in the United States or US territories. The financial characteristics of payment category, manufacturer, product, and location were also assessed. RESULTS This analysis revealed that the OPD showed industry reporting a total of 20 943 ophthalmologists receiving 736 517 payments worth $543 679 603.53 (1.67% of all industry-reported funds in the OPD). The median payment value was $22.44. Most payments were for food and beverages (581 588 [78.96%]), whereas most funds were allocated toward research

Nature and Trends of Pharmaceutical Payments to the Board Certified Respiratory Specialists in Japan between 2016 and 2019

“…Meanwhile, other studies outside of respiratory specialists reported that there were lower average payments among the US nephrology specialists ($1,795[$2,227 annual general payments) 31 , the US orthopedic surgery ($3,260 in 2013), and the US dermatologists ($4,177) 22 than the Japanese respiratory specialists; while several specialists such as the US ophthalmologists ($5,191) 32 ; the US cardiologists ($5,638) 33 ; the US rheumatologists ($6,444) 34 ; and Japanese respiratory oncologists ($6,992) 19 received higher average payments. Particularly, this study represented large financial relationships of JRS-certified specialists with pharmaceutical companies as compared to other specialists in the US and Japan.…”

Pharmaceutical Payments to Japanese Certificated Hematologists: A Retrospective Analysis of Personal Payments from Pharmaceutical Companies between 2016 and 2019

“…[30]); $25,960 ($5,191 per year) among ophthalmologists between 2013 and 2017 (ref. [41]); $16,914 ($5,638 per year) among cardiologists between 2014 and 2016 (ref. [42]); $38,664 ($6,444 per year) among rheumatologists between 2014 and 2019 (ref.…”

“…As previous studies have found (ref. [25, 30, 41–43]), pharmaceutical companies have concentrated their payments on a small number of physicians with extensive clinical and research experience. These specialists, or “key opinion leaders,” (ref.…”

Physicians payment in the United States between 2014 and 2018: An analysis of the CMS Open Payments database

“…Multiple studies have been conducted analyzing specialty-specific payment patterns between industry and physicians using the Open Payments database including but not limited to studies on orthopedic surgeons [ 12 ], emergency physicians [ 13 ], pediatricians [ 14 ], neurosurgeons [ 15 ], otolaryngologists [ 18 ], cardiologists [ 19 ], and ophthalmologists [ 20 ]. Additional research has also been conducted to further examine potential physician bias and conflicts of interest within particular specialty areas [ 21 – 23 ].…”