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/805489
  • 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/805489
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.

PRESTON SMITH

Listed Specialty: Diagnostic Radiology
8071 WATERTOWN PLANK ROAD, MILWAUKEE, WI, 53226

2018 Payments: At a Glance

113

payments

$4,550

payment total

10

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 102 $2,712
Travel and Lodging
 11 $1,837

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†
EMBOZENE

device

 $835
SYNCHROMED

device

 $729
SIR-SPHERES MICROSPHERES

device

 $676
COOK MEDICAL IAA

device

 $576
COOK MEDICAL ZILVER PTX

device

 $303
COOK MEDICAL PERIPHERAL INTERVENTION

device

 $229
GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION

device

 $161
PERIPHERAL ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM

device

 $154
PHASIX

device

 $135
COOK MEDICAL FILTERS

device

 $112
ADAPTIVESTIM

device

 $112
ALLODERM

device

 $87
COOK MEDICAL CATHETERS

device

 $86
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $68
GENERAL METALLIC STENTS

device

 $64
VIABAHN ENDOPROSTHESIS WITH HEPARIN BIOACTIVE SURFACE

device

 $55
COOK MEDICAL STENTS

device

 $32
DIREXION

device

 $20
JETSTREAM

device

 $17
GENERAL THROMBECTOMY

device

 $15
† 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/805489

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 7, 2018 $547 COOK MEDICAL IAA Travel and Lodging COOK INCORPORATED
Oct 22, 2018 $333 EMBOZENE Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 19, 2018 $292 SYNCHROMED Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 23, 2018 $282 EMBOZENE Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 21, 2018 $161 SYNCHROMED Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Feb 8, 2018 $147 SIR-SPHERES MICROSPHERES Food and Beverage SIRTEX MEDICAL INC
Sep 19, 2018 $135 PHASIX Food and Beverage DAVOL INC.
Aug 20, 2018 $133 SYNCHROMED Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Dec 5, 2018 $127 SIR-SPHERES MICROSPHERES Food and Beverage SIRTEX MEDICAL INC
Mar 29, 2018 $112 ADAPTIVESTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 5, 2018 $98 SIR-SPHERES MICROSPHERES Food and Beverage SIRTEX MEDICAL INC
Jul 12, 2018 $98 COOK MEDICAL PERIPHERAL INTERVENTION Travel and Lodging COOK INCORPORATED
Oct 22, 2018 $94 EMBOZENE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 16, 2018 $93 COOK MEDICAL ZILVER PTX Food and Beverage COOK MEDICAL LLC
Jul 8, 2018 $93 COOK MEDICAL PERIPHERAL INTERVENTION Food and Beverage COOK INCORPORATED
Feb 15, 2018 $90 GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 2, 2018 $87 ALLODERM Food and Beverage ALLERGAN INC.
Aug 7, 2018 $80 COOK MEDICAL ZILVER PTX Food and Beverage COOK MEDICAL LLC
Aug 20, 2018 $71 SYNCHROMED Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Aug 7, 2018 $57 PERIPHERAL ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM Food and Beverage CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS 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/805489

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.