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/91240
  • 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/91240
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.

MURAD ABDELSALAM

Listed Specialty: Internal Medicine
800 SPRUCE STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA, 19107

2018 Payments: At a Glance

91

payments

$11,264

payment total

20

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 17 $5,825
Food and Beverage
 69 $3,185
Grant
 2 $1,995
Education
 3 $259

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†
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $6,089
FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER

device

 $1,895
HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM

device

 $1,895
HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES

device

 $1,895
OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM

device

 $1,895
SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM

device

 $1,895
IMPELLA

device

 $939
RESOLUTE

device

 $540
WATCHMAN

device

 $302
ENTRESTO

drug

 $258
EKOSONIC

device

 $215
ELIQUIS

drug

 $203
LIFEVEST

device

 $132
COOK MEDICAL PERIPHERAL INTERVENTION

device

 $130
CROSSER

device

 $121
BRILINTA

drug

 $97
ACUNAV

device

 $73
CARDIOFORM SEPTAL OCCLUDER

device

 $69
DRAGONFLY OCT

device

 $49
PCI OPTIMIZATION

device

 $27
† 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/91240

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Feb 26, 2018 $1,595 No Listed Product Grant COOK MEDICAL LLC VIVA PHYSICIANS, INC. (VPI)
Feb 26, 2018 $1,116 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging COOK MEDICAL LLC VIVA PHYSICIANS, INC. (VPI)
Dec 3, 2018 $758 FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 19, 2018 $584 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jun 29, 2018 $500 IMPELLA Travel and Lodging ABIOMED
Feb 26, 2018 $485 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging COOK MEDICAL LLC VIVA PHYSICIANS, INC. (VPI)
Aug 29, 2018 $423 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Dec 6, 2018 $404 IMPELLA Travel and Lodging ABIOMED
May 30, 2018 $400 No Listed Product Grant COOK MEDICAL LLC SOCIETY FOR VASCULAR SURGERY
Oct 26, 2018 $379 RESOLUTE Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Sep 28, 2018 $338 FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Feb 26, 2018 $250 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging COOK MEDICAL LLC VIVA PHYSICIANS, INC. (VPI)
May 30, 2018 $209 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging COOK MEDICAL LLC SOCIETY FOR VASCULAR SURGERY
Dec 3, 2018 $203 FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 30, 2018 $200 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging COOK MEDICAL LLC SOCIETY FOR VASCULAR SURGERY
Mar 8, 2018 $148 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Sep 11, 2018 $142 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Feb 27, 2018 $130 EKOSONIC Food and Beverage EKOS CORPORATION
Nov 5, 2018 $123 COOK MEDICAL PERIPHERAL INTERVENTION Food and Beverage COOK INCORPORATED
Jan 24, 2018 $121 CROSSER Education BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, 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/91240

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.