Dr. Gregory Pokrywka, MD
Not yet claimedLipidologist, Internal medicine doctor · Physician (MD)
Baltimore, MD
Physician certified in clinical lipidology by the American Board of Clinical Lipidology, practicing at Baltimore Lipid Center in Baltimore, MD. Lipidologists manage cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a) with guideline-based care.
About Dr. Gregory Pokrywka, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Gregory S. Pokrywka is an internal medicine doctor and clinical lipidologist in the Baltimore area. He founded the Baltimore Lipid Center in 2001, located at 7801 York Road, Suite 300, Towson, MD, and has been in private practice since 1987.
He went to Duke University and worked as a biochemist before medical school, then earned his medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is a board-certified internist and was an inaugural Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology in November 2005. He also holds the NAMS Credentialed Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) credential, so his work covers both cholesterol care and menopause care. He is listed as an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Beyond his practice, he serves as Medical Director of First Step in Baltimore, where he treats patients with opioid use disorder after completing DATA 2000 buprenorphine training in 2011. He has been a sub-investigator or principal investigator on more than 25 clinical trials with IRC Clinical Research Center in Towson since 2012. He has written and co-written articles on cholesterol topics, including a 2018 review on PCSK9 inhibitors, and has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Lipidology and Cardiology Review.
CMS Open Payments records list $151,129.26 in industry payments to him across 506 records from 2021 to 2025. The largest payers were Amgen ($52,114.86), Esperion Therapeutics ($40,483.96), Amarin Pharma ($22,689.94), Amryt Pharma ($14,537.13), and Medicure Pharma ($6,860.78). Payments from drug and device companies are common and legal, and often reflect speaking, consulting, or research work.
- Clinical lipidology certification
- He was an inaugural Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology in November 2005. pri-med.com
- Menopause credential
- He holds the NAMS Credentialed Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) credential and is described as dual-certified in menopause and lipidology. pri-med.com
- Founded Baltimore Lipid Center
- He has been in private practice since 1987 and founded the Baltimore Lipid Center in 2001. umms.org
- Johns Hopkins teaching role
- He is listed as an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. reachmd.com
- Opioid treatment work
- He is Medical Director of First Step in Baltimore and completed DATA 2000 buprenorphine training in 2011 to treat patients with opioid use disorder. umms.org
- Clinical trial research
- He has served as a sub-investigator or principal investigator in more than 25 clinical trials with IRC Clinical Research Center in Towson since 2012. umms.org
- Published cholesterol research
- He wrote a 2018 review on PCSK9 inhibitors in Postgraduate Medicine and co-wrote a 2013 cost-effectiveness study in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. doximity.com
- Journal editorial boards
- He has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Lipidology and Cardiology Review. reachmd.com
- Lipid society leadership
- He has served on the Board of Directors of the Southeast Lipid Association. umms.org
Worth knowing
- CMS Open Payments lists $151,129.26 in industry payments across 506 records from 2021 to 2025, with the largest amounts from Amgen, Esperion Therapeutics, and Amarin Pharma — companies that make cholesterol and triglyceride medicines. Such payments are common and legal, but patients may wish to ask about them. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
- Training records differ between sources: Doximity lists a Johns Hopkins University residency completed in 1987, while his own practice bio and the UMMS profile describe a chief residency at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore. The researcher could not reconcile the two. doximity.com
- His Maryland Board of Physicians practitioner profile lists his practice address and does not report Maryland hospital privileges or licenses in other states. mbp.state.md.us
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$151,129
506 payments
| 2021 | $45,702 |
| 2022 | $32,682 |
| 2023 | $34,704 |
| 2024 | $28,047 |
| 2025 | $9,994 |
Top payers
- Amgen Inc.$52,115
- Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.$40,484
- Amarin Pharma Inc.$22,690
- Amryt Pharma Holdings Ltd$14,537
- Medicure Pharma Inc.$6,861
Payment types
- Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program$118,092
- Travel and Lodging$13,998
- Food and Beverage$11,297
- Consulting Fee$7,428
- Honoraria$300
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: baltimorelipidcenter.com · baltimorelipidcenter.com · baltimorelipidcenter.com · baltimorelipidcenter.com · umms.org · pri-med.com · doximity.com · reachmd.com. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
Baltimore Lipid Center
7801 York Road
Baltimore, MD 21204
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