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/607763
  • 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/607763
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.

TAREK ABUELEM

Listed Specialty: Neurological Surgery
1421 N UNIVERSITY AVE, S120, LITTLE ROCK, AR, 72207-5207

2018 Payments: At a Glance

57

payments

$6,265

payment total

6

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 30 $4,932
Food and Beverage
 26 $1,154
Education
 1 $179

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†
PIPELINE

device

 $1,553
PENUMBRA SYSTEM

device

 $1,370
PHIL

device

 $1,306
ATLAS

device

 $1,254
LVIS

device

 $1,213
SCEPTER XC BALLOON CATHETER

device

 $770
FRED

device

 $709
HYPERSOFT 3D COIL

device

 $563
CASPER

device

 $478
SCEPTER C BALLOON CATHETER

device

 $464
ERIC

device

 $353
SOFIA

device

 $259
TRAXCESS GUIDEWIRE AND DOCKING WIRE

device

 $245
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $179
SOLITAIRE

device

 $151
FLOWGATE

device

 $148
CATALYST

device

 $139
INFINITY

device

 $139
TREVO

device

 $133
FLOSEAL

drug

 $122
† 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/607763

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 28, 2018 $606 ATLAS Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Mar 1, 2018 $534 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Jan 18, 2018 $493 PHIL FRED LVIS HYPERSOFT 3D COIL SCEPTER XC BALLOON CATHETER Travel and Lodging MICROVENTION, INC.
Feb 28, 2018 $457 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Oct 18, 2018 $443 PIPELINE Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $443 PIPELINE Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 18, 2018 $353 ATLAS Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Feb 10, 2018 $219 ERIC PHIL CASPER SCEPTER C BALLOON CATHETER LVIS Travel and Lodging MICROVENTION, INC.
May 18, 2018 $179 No Listed Product Education MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 19, 2018 $168 PIPELINE Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Mar 19, 2018 $129 LVIS PHIL TRAXCESS GUIDEWIRE AND DOCKING WIRE SCEPTER C BALLOON CATHETER SCEPTER XC BALLOON CATHETER Travel and Lodging MICROVENTION, INC.
Mar 1, 2018 $127 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Feb 8, 2018 $126 FRED CASPER PHIL SOFIA LVIS Food and Beverage MICROVENTION, INC.
Mar 3, 2018 $125 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $123 TREVO Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Aug 18, 2018 $122 FLOSEAL Food and Beverage BAXTER HEALTHCARE
Oct 4, 2018 $111 PIPELINE Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Aug 27, 2018 $110 NEUROFORM EZ Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Mar 13, 2018 $108 PIPELINE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $105 PIPELINE Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, 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/607763

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.