Sunshine Act Compliance
We believe that transparency about payments to the medical community is an important element of our relationship with medical professionals and patients and we comply fully with all relevant laws and regulations, including federal Open Payments (commonly known as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act.)
Our Corporate Compliance and Ethics Program
We believe that transparency about payments to the medical community is an important element of our relationship with medical professionals and patients and we comply fully with all relevant laws and regulations, including the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. Our relationship with medical professionals and teaching hospitals in support of research and education is an important part of making sure that doctors and their patients know what treatments are available to manage disease, restore health and prolong life.
In support of our commitment to transparency, we ensure that all of our employees understand our responsibility with respect to reporting requirements and have the necessary training, tools and support. We also pledge to do all we can within government regulations and guidelines to make sure that medical professionals and teaching hospitals fully understand the reporting requirements and how we categorize different kinds of payments or value exchange.
Click this link for more information about the Sunshine Act from the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
If you are a medical professional with questions about how Boehringer Ingelheim is complying with the reporting requirements of the Sunshine Act, click here.
Understanding the Data
Under the Sunshine Act, companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim are permitted to withhold reporting some payments associated with their proprietary research and the development of new treatments. This may lead to the false impression that a disproportionate amount of payments to medical professionals fall under the “General Payments” category. This is not the case. Boehringer Ingelheim dedicates the vast majority of its resources to the research and development of new, lifesaving and life-preserving treatments.
In addition, according to CMS, some of the data reported by pharmaceutical companies have not yet been uploaded to the system. As a result, data made available to the public by CMS does not currently represent the entirety of the data set reported and attested to by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Differences in Reporting Requirements
Our business is governed by a variety of rules and regulations pertaining to transparency about our interaction with healthcare professionals. As a result, there are often differences in the types of information shared. For more information about the data shared under other federal and state laws, and the corporate integrity agreement between the US Department of Health and Human Services and Boehringer Ingelheim, click here.