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/241841
  • 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/241841
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.

LAWRENCE BAUM

Listed Specialty: Urology
4223 RICHMOND AVE, HOUSTON, TX, 77027-6856

2018 Payments: At a Glance

136

payments

$3,321

payment total

21

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 132 $3,171
Education
 4 $150

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†
INTERSTIM

device

 $544
XIAFLEX

drug

 $354
GENERAL BPH

device

 $325
AVEED

drug

 $270
TESTOPEL

drug

 $270
XTANDI

drug

 $231
AMS

device

 $223
NATESTO

drug

 $193
REZUM

device

 $190
GENERAL FEMALE SUI

device

 $149
ZYTIGA

drug

 $127
LITHOVUE

device

 $124
GENERAL KIDNEY STONE DISEASE

device

 $114
PROVENGE

drug

 $100
NOCTIVA

drug

 $91
MYRBETRIQ

drug

 $82
ANDROGEL

drug

 $79
ALTIS

device

 $69
LUPRON

drug

 $65
GENERAL ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

device

 $47
† 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/241841

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jan 11, 2018 $149 INTERSTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Feb 1, 2018 $149 GENERAL FEMALE SUI Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 3, 2018 $132 INTERSTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jun 19, 2018 $124 LITHOVUE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 5, 2018 $119 GENERAL BPH Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 10, 2018 $118 AMS Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 26, 2018 $114 GENERAL KIDNEY STONE DISEASE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 28, 2018 $108 INTERSTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 19, 2018 $105 AMS Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 7, 2018 $94 INTERSTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Mar 1, 2018 $86 REZUM Food and Beverage NXTHERA, INC.
Dec 20, 2018 $83 XIAFLEX Education ENDO PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
Jun 25, 2018 $46 ALTIS Education COLOPLAST CORP
Oct 1, 2018 $45 INTERSTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 6, 2018 $34 GENERAL BPH Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 26, 2018 $32 PROVENGE Food and Beverage DENDREON PHARMACEUTICALS LLC
Feb 5, 2018 $27 REZUM Food and Beverage NXTHERA, INC.
Apr 16, 2018 $25 XTANDI Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.
Feb 27, 2018 $25 OSPHENA Food and Beverage DUCHESNAY USA INCORPORATED
Jul 9, 2018 $24 XTANDI Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.

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/241841

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.