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/313489
  • 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/313489
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.

RICHARD POLLAK

Listed Specialty: Podiatrist, Foot & Ankle Surgery
8042 WURZBACH RD, 440, SAN ANTONIO, TX, 78229-3818

2018 Payments: At a Glance

59

payments

$13,704

payment total

12

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 1 $8,800
Travel and Lodging
 12 $2,721
Food and Beverage
 45 $2,179
Education
 1 $4

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†
HTX-011

drug

 $10,474
ORTHOLOC

device

 $1,342
ANCHORAGE

device

 $487
HOFFMANN

device

 $312
PROLAYER

device

 $257
APLIGRAF

drug

 $236
HTR

device

 $228
TIGER CANNULATED SCREWS

device

 $228
TWO STEP

device

 $228
ALLOWRAP

device

 $213
DERMAGRAFT

device

 $211
PURAPLY/AFFINITY/NUTECH

device

 $211
BIO4

device

 $157
EASY CLIP

device

 $155
INFINITY

device

 $140
REGRANEX

drug

 $136
ALLOGRAFT

device

 $115
SONICANCHOR

device

 $115
AUGMENT

device

 $89
KERYDIN

drug

 $89
† 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/313489

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Nov 29, 2018 $8,800 HTX-011 Consulting HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
May 22, 2018 $652 ORTHOLOC Travel and Lodging WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Nov 30, 2018 $449 HTX-011 Travel and Lodging HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
May 24, 2018 $378 ORTHOLOC Travel and Lodging WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Nov 29, 2018 $351 HTX-011 Travel and Lodging HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Nov 28, 2018 $224 HTX-011 Travel and Lodging HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Nov 29, 2018 $224 HTX-011 Travel and Lodging HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
May 24, 2018 $200 ORTHOLOC Travel and Lodging WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Nov 30, 2018 $147 HTX-011 Food and Beverage HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Dec 14, 2018 $143 ALLOWRAP PROLAYER HOFFMANN ANCHORAGE Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
May 31, 2018 $131 ANCHORAGE Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
May 17, 2018 $125 APLIGRAF DERMAGRAFT PURAPLY/AFFINITY/NUTECH Food and Beverage ORGANOGENESIS INC. L&M Healthcare Communications
Aug 28, 2018 $124 REGRANEX Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Nov 29, 2018 $117 HTX-011 Food and Beverage HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
May 8, 2018 $115 ALLOGRAFT PROLAYER ANCHORAGE SONICANCHOR Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Feb 11, 2018 $114 TIGER CANNULATED SCREWS HTR TWO STEP Food and Beverage TRILLIANT SURGICAL LLC.
Feb 27, 2018 $114 TIGER CANNULATED SCREWS HTR TWO STEP Food and Beverage TRILLIANT SURGICAL LLC.
Jul 24, 2018 $101 ORTHOLOC Food and Beverage WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Aug 21, 2018 $99 ANCHORAGE HOFFMANN EASY CLIP BIO4 Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Sep 26, 2018 $86 APLIGRAF DERMAGRAFT PURAPLY/AFFINITY/NUTECH Food and Beverage ORGANOGENESIS INC. L&M Healthcare Communications

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/313489

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.