Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Krichna Sowles, MD
Family Medicine · Burlington, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating.
This page presents federal public records about Dr. Sowles from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Sowles
Dr. Krichna Sowles is a family medicine specialist in Burlington, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sowles performed 524 Medicare services across 368 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sowles received a total of $15,305 from 63 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1060 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Sowles is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ 524 Medicare services
$15,305 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗524
Medicare services
Bottom 49% in NC for family medicine
368
Unique beneficiaries
$65
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~28 Medicare services per year of practice
Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
226 | $75 | $260 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
76 | $119 | $295 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
56 | $29 | $59 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
42 | $9 | $35 |
| Flu vaccine, quadrivalent A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus to help prevent seasonal influenza infection. |
38 | $76 | $165 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
31 | $46 | $175 |
| Chronic care management, additional 20 min/month This service covers an extra 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional for managing two or more chronic conditions each calendar month. |
23 | $36 | $125 |
| Chronic care management, first 20 min/month This service covers the first 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional each calendar month to manage chronic conditions. |
17 | $47 | $129 |
| Quadrivalent influenza vaccine, preservative-free A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus, formulated without preservatives, administered in a 0.5 ml dose. |
15 | $22 | $49 |
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$15,305
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,186/year across 7 years
Top 2% in NC for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
63
Companies
1,060
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$15,293 (99.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$12 (0.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,258
2023
$2,604
2022
$2,420
2021
$2,040
2020
$1,329
2019
$2,217
2018
$2,437
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novo Nordisk Inc
$314
ABBVIE INC.
$278
Lilly USA, LLC
$276
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$199
PFIZER INC.
$188
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$98
Abbott Laboratories
$96
IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
$63
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$63
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$61
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$58
Amgen Inc.
$58
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$56
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$54
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$53
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$53
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$42
Exact Sciences Corporation
$37
Dexcom, Inc.
$36
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$34
Corcept Therapeutics
$28
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$27
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$20
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$20
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$16
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$15
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 38.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$2,730
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,472
Lilly USA, LLC
$1,412
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$859
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$686
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$659
PFIZER INC.
$573
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$547
AbbVie Inc.
$464
ABBVIE INC.
$460
Abbott Laboratories
$456
Amgen Inc.
$443
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$384
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$255
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$229
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$225
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$225
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$211
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$191
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$191
Eisai Inc.
$190
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$177
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$167
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$141
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$140
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$137
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$132
Allergan, Inc.
$115
EISAI INC.
$110
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$107
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$103
IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
$97
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$93
Exact Sciences Corporation
$90
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$69
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$63
Lundbeck LLC
$45
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$42
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$40
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$38
Allergan Inc.
$36
Dexcom, Inc.
$36
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$34
Shire North American Group Inc
$32
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$32
IMPEL PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$31
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$30
Corcept Therapeutics
$28
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$28
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$27
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$27
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$23
Nevro Corp.
$22
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$20
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$18
Organogenesis Inc.
$17
Exeltis, USA Inc.
$17
Duchesnay USA Incorporated
$16
GENZYME CORPORATION
$15
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$14
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$13
Circassia Pharmaceuticals Inc
$12
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 36.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADVAIR · AIRSUPRA · AJOVY · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · AREXVY · Aimovig · Amitiza · Auvelity · BASAGLAR · BELSOMRA · BREO · BREZTRI · BYDUREON · Belviq · CAMZYOS · CAPLYTA · CHANTIX · CONTRAVE · Cologuard Collection Kit · Dayvigo · Descovy · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · ETERNA · EUCRISA · FABRY-DISEASE · FARXIGA · FIASP · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · FreeStyle Lite system · GARDASIL 9 · GEMTESA · GLYXAMBI · GVOKE HYPOPEN · GVOKE PFS · Heplisav-B · Horizant · INVEGA SUSTENNA · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · Korlym · LEQVIO · LINZESS · LYRICA · Linzess · Livalo · MOUNJARO · MYDAYIS · MYRBETRIQ · NEXLETOL · NEXLIZET · NUEDEXTA · NURTEC ODT · Osphena · Ozempic · PAXLOVID · PRALUENT · PREVNAR 20 · Prolia · Puraply · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · REXULTI · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Ryaltris · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SLYND · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SPIRIVA · SPIRIVA RESPIMAT · STEGLATRO · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SYMBICORT · SYNJARDY · Saxenda · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Sunosi · TOUJEO · TRADJENTA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TROKENDI XR · TRULANCE · TRULICITY · TUDORZA PRESSAIR · Tresiba · Trintellix · Trudhesa · Trulance · UBRELVY · UPLIZNA · Utibron · VIBERZI · VOQUEZNA · VRAYLAR · VYEPTI · VYVANSE · Vascepa · Victoza · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · Xultophy 100/3.6 · Yupelri · ZIO XT Patch · ZORYVE · ZOSTAVAX
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for family medicine in NC.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
303
Per 100K population
173.9
County median income
$64,445
Nearest hospital
MOSES H. CONE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, THE
14.6 mi
14.6 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Sowles is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 2% of NC peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Sowles experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Sowles performed 226 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Sowles receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Sowles received a total of $15,305 from 63 companies across 1,060 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Sowles's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Burlington?
Dr. Sowles's average Medicare payment per service is $65. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Sowles) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
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