Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/
You can print this page and show it to your doctor.

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

ProPublica's Dollars for Docs database lets you search for payments to U.S.-based doctors made by pharmaceutical and medical device companies between August 2013 and December 2018. The disclosure of these payments is required under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, a provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

About This Information

  • The information that appears here comes directly from the federal government. Companies must attest to its accuracy, and doctors have the ability to contest information they believe is in error.
  • This site includes payments for such activities as speaking, consulting, meals, travel and royalties. It does not include payments for clinical research.
  • It is legal for companies to make payments to doctors as long as the payments are not a kickback or inducement to use their products.
  • Some doctors say collaborative relationships, particularly those involving research, are necessary to develop new treatments and cures. But many ethicists have raised questions about the payments, and studies show that they may influence doctors' prescribing decisions.
  • Only you can decide if this matters to you and if so, whether you want to talk with your doctor about it. If you plan to talk with your doctor (or if you already have), please help us by filling out this short survey: propub.li/participate-d4d

Preparing for Your Conversation

If you decide you'd like to talk to your doctor about this, please keep in mind:

  • Many health care professionals in our database have similar names, so you should start by asking your doctor if the person mentioned in this payment record is really him/her.
  • Your doctor may not know he or she is listed as receiving payments, especially if the payments are small. You can direct your doctor to this site (the URL will be printed at the top of the payment record) or directly to the government's site here: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/1377317
  • Some doctors are happy to discuss this information with you. Others might not be. The best approach is to ask questions and to not be accusatory.

Questions You Might Want to Ask

  • Is this you?
  • What type of work do you do with these companies?
  • Have you prescribed me any drugs that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?
  • Are there non-drug alternatives that I may want to consider first?
  • Are there less expensive generic alternatives to the drugs you have prescribed?
  • What devices have you used in my care that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?

Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/1377317
If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

EDWARD SMITH

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery
1430 TULANE AVE # SL32, ORTHOPAEDICS DEPT, NEW ORLEANS, LA, 70112-2632

2018 Payments: At a Glance

28

payments

$3,246

payment total

8

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 24 $1,737
Travel and Lodging
 3 $1,239
Education
 1 $270

Drugs & Devices in 2018

Totals listed below account for all payments from that mention this product. Beginning in 2016, the government began classifying products as drugs, devices, biologics or medical supplies. Below, you will see drugs (drugs and biologics) and devices (devices and medical supplies). If a payment record mentions more than one product, the entire value will be included in each of those products. When no products are listed, they are not included in the list below.

Product Name Product Type Payments†
NONE

device

 $931
TRITANIUM

device

 $511
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

device

 $308
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $270
XIA

device

 $204
AVIATOR

device

 $149
AUGMENT

device

 $141
AQUAMANTYS

device

 $129
MESA SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $123
OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION

device

 $122
ILIOS

device

 $122
ARIA

device

 $87
AVS

device

 $87
TEMPUS

device

 $59
KYPHON BALLOON KYPHOPLASTY

device

 $55
FOOT & ANKLE

drug

 $52
DERMABOND PORTFOLIO

device

 $45
SURGICEL FAMILY OF ABSORBABLE HEMOSTATS

device

 $37
INFINITY

device

 $21
ORTHOLOC

device

 $17
† May not add up to dollar total at top of page, since a payment record may not be associated with any product or can be associated with several products.

For ease of printing, only the 20 drugs and devices with the highest payments are displayed. For a complete list, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/1377317

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jun 6, 2018 $536 NONE Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Jun 6, 2018 $395 NONE Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Aug 9, 2018 $308 NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
May 23, 2018 $270 No Listed Product Education MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Nov 27, 2018 $149 AVIATOR TRITANIUM Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Mar 7, 2018 $147 TRITANIUM Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Mar 8, 2018 $141 AUGMENT Food and Beverage WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Nov 16, 2018 $129 AQUAMANTYS Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Dec 7, 2018 $126 TRITANIUM Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
May 18, 2018 $123 MESA SPINAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Nov 6, 2018 $122 OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Aug 22, 2018 $122 ILIOS Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Jul 11, 2018 $118 XIA Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Dec 10, 2018 $87 ARIA AVS Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Mar 8, 2018 $73 TRITANIUM Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Aug 20, 2018 $70 XIA Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Feb 15, 2018 $52 FOOT & ANKLE Food and Beverage ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Dec 5, 2018 $46 TEMPUS Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Apr 5, 2018 $45 DERMABOND PORTFOLIO Food and Beverage ETHICON US, LLC
Apr 28, 2018 $37 SURGICEL FAMILY OF ABSORBABLE HEMOSTATS Food and Beverage ETHICON US, LLC

For ease of printing, 20 payments are displayed, the largest appearing on top. For a full list of payments, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/1377317

Note: We have made some effort to normalize the data and eliminate duplicates, but the data is primarily as it has been reported by the companies to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. To purchase the normalized data, please visit the ProPublica Data Store. If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This site includes data published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on June 28, 2019.