As Sunshine Registration Deadline Approaches, AMA Continues Push To Help Physicians Register, Review And Dispute Inaccurate Data

With just 27 days before the deadline for physicians to dispute inaccurate reports from pharmaceutical companies and GPOs about their interactions before their publication under the Sunshine Act, the American Medical Association (AMA) is taking several steps to help physicians overcome the many issues they are having with the electronic system to register, review and dispute inaccurate information. The AMA has developed online guides to assist physicians in navigating each step of the process, which many have called cumbersome and complicated.

"The AMA has been actively informing physicians about the Sunshine Act and the upcoming publishing of physician interactions with pharmaceutical and medical device companies on September 30th," said Robert Wah, MD, President of the American Medical Association. "We continue to be concerned about the short time frame of just 45 days to register, review and dispute reported data and want to remind all physicians about the importance and urgency of making sure their information is accurate before it is released by CMS."

The Three-Step guides to assist physicians with the Sunshine Act are accessible via AMA Wire and include tips on completing each of the steps:

• Step 1: Complete CMS' e-verification process
• Step 2: Register with CMS' Open Payments system
• Step 3: Review and dispute data

The AMA is also asking physicians to share tips on Twitter about what they learned from their experiences trying to register, review and dispute inaccurate claims by using the hashtag #SunshineTips.

In addition to the guides and the Tweets, the AMA's "Physician Sunshine Act Tool Kit" provides a variety of other resources for physicians to help them navigate the Sunshine Act, including a list of important dates, answers to frequently asked questions, information about how to challenge incorrect reports and ways to be more transparent with patients about their interactions with the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. For more information, visit www.ama-assn.org/go/sunshine.