The Post-Dispatch tried to contact the highest-paid local doctors included in ProPublica's Dollars for Docs database. A few didn't respond or declined to comment. But most readily discussed the business they do with the pharmaceutical industry. The list below includes those doctors believed to have received at least $100,000 from pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Anthony H. Guarino • $255,737
Cephalon: $171,800
Eli Lilly: $75,644
Johnson & Johnson: $8,293
Profession • Assistant professor of anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine. Treats patients at Pain Management Center at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
• Speaks about Amrix (muscle relaxer) and Fentora (pain killer) for Cephalon; Cymbalta (antidepressant) for Eli Lilly; Nucynta (pain killer) for Johnson & Johnson.
• Discloses on his WU Web page and to patients that he makes more than $200,000 annually from pharmaceutical companies.
Response • "A very small percentage of my patients are recommended to try these medications. About 98 percent of (prescriptions) that I write are generic. There are situations where I recognize that brand medications would be superior and in that instance I will prescribe them. But I do let the patient know that I speak for the company, and if they feel there's a conflict of interest, I will not write a prescription for that medicine."
Dr. David Alpers • $155,943
GlaxoSmithKline: $155,943
Profession • William B. Kountz Professor of Medicine and Geriatrics and assistant director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine
• Former chief of the Gastroenterology Division at Washington University School of Medicine
Response • "I'm a little different than others on the list because I don't give talks to peers. I don't do anything to promote drugs.
"Twelve years ago, I was asked by the head of research and development at Glaxo to develop a portfolio of drugs for gastroenterology because they didn't have any at the time. I've been working with them all the way from the chemical of the compounds to phase II studies. None of the drugs I've consulted on are on the market. Right now, I'm deciding the best population to use these drugs."
Dr. David Weinstein • $164,295
Eli Lilly: $133,295
GSK: $31,000
Profession • Practices obstetrics and gynecology at Consultants in Women's Healthcare in west St. Louis County
• Speaks on Evista and Forteo for Eli Lilly (both osteoporosis drugs)
Response • "For me, it's all about patient care. I'm passionate about making sure physicians are up to date on the latest diagnostic and therapeutic options, including evidence-based guidelines on who to treat and when."
Dr. Scott Arbaugh • $118,412
Eli Lilly: $116,588
Pfizer: $1,824
• Practices with Northwest Psychiatric Associates in O'Fallon, Mo.
Response • Did not respond to a request for comment.
Dr. Anthony J. Margherita • $143,491
Eli Lilly: $122,274
Pfizer: $10,803
Johnson & Johnson: $10,414
Profession • Physical medicine and rehabilitation at West County Spine & Sports Medicine
• Speaks about Cymbalta for Eli Lilly; Nucynta and PriCara for Johnson & Johnson; Celebrex (arthritis medication) and Lyrica (pain medication) for Pfizer.
Response • "I speak for two different companies that have competing products for the same condition, offering me an advantage because I know and understand the data for both. People will ask about both drugs at some events. And my prescribing patterns don't skew toward one product or another."
Dr. Azfar Malik • $149,067
Eli Lilly: $110,293
AstraZeneca: $36,000
Johnson & Johnson: $1,605
Pfizer: $1,169
Profession • Chief of staff and CEO of CenterPointe Hospital in St. Charles
• Practices psychiatry, specializing in addiction and geriatric psychiatry
• Speaks about Zyprexa and Cymbalta for Eli Lilly; Seroquel for AstraZeneca; a long-term injectable technique for Johnson & Johnson; and Geodon for Pfizer
Response • "Recognition of mental illness is very low among general practitioners, so while we're educating about the drugs we're also educating about the conditions.
"The best example is the recognition of bipolar disorder and how to recognize the symptoms and treat it rather than letting it go and have them suffer. There's also been a lot of stigma against mental illness, and pharmaceuticals have helped with that because we can educate doctors — and through them, the public — that these are chemical disorders that can be treated with drugs."
Dr. Paul M. Packman • $116,386
Eli Lilly: $116,386
Profession • Practices psychiatry in Clayton
• Speaks about Cymbalta and Zyprexa (anti-psychotic medication). Also speaks about Namenda (Alzheimer's medication) and Lexapro (antidepressant), both by Forest Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Response • "My patients know that I travel and do this and they know I get paid for it. When I'm away and traveling, my clinical income is zero ...To say what someone is earning, you need to look at it over a several-year period. I think the media has promoted this kind of distortion."
Dr. Rolando A. Larice $117,489
Eli Lilly: $100,483
Pfizer: $8,606
Astra Zeneca: $8,400
Profession • Practices as R. Larice, M.D. & Associates in Chesterfield
• Former principal investigator at Radiant Research Inc. in St. Louis
• Résumé discloses that he's presented 95 speeches for pharmaceutical companies.
Response • Did not respond to calls or e-mails.
Dr. Jerold J. Kreisman • $134,688
Eli Lilly: $100,688
GSK: $34,000
Profession • Practices psychiatry at Allied Behavioral Consultants Inc. in St. Louis
• Co-author of "I Hate You, Don't Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality" and "Sometimes I Act Crazy: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder"
• Spoke about Vivance (an ADD drug) for GlaxoSmithKline; Cymbalta for Eli Lilly
Response • "It's fun to get out of the office and interact with other doctors and see what they're doing. What other doctors experience is always very important, and these days, given how busy we all are, interaction is quite limited ... If they're having particular problems I've had, I think I can help mitigate certain side effects or suggest another drug."
Dr. Adam Sky • $120,352
Eli Lilly: $120,352
Profession • Practices at Psych Care Consultants in St. Louis
Response • Declined to comment.
Dr. Kathryn Diemer • $108,766
Eli Lilly: $104,766
GlaxoSmithKline: $4,000
Profession • Treats patients at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
• Clinical director, Bone Health Program at Washington University
• Assistant dean at Washington University School of Medicine
• Speaks about osteoporosis drugs Forteo and Evista for Eli Lilly; Boniva for Roche Therapeutics; Actonel for Warner Chilcott; Reclast for Novartis; and Prolia for Amgen
Response • "Many physicians contact me regularly after meeting me at a program to ask me questions about their patients and how to evaluate and treat them, often saving the patient a trip to St. Louis or an incorrect diagnosis or treatment. I believe I can help even more patients than I can actually see by educating and working with these physicians."
Dr. Richard Anderson and Dr. Greg Mattingly • shared total of $266,365
Eli Lilly: $188,297 (shared by Anderson and Mattingly)
Eli Lilly: $48,118 (Anderson)
GlaxoSmithKline: $6,250 (Anderson)
GlaxoSmithKline: $23,350 (Mattingly)
Johnson & Johnson: $350 (Mattingly)
Profession • Both practice with Midwest Research Group and St. Charles Psychiatric Associates, which are affiliated with each other.
• Since 2001, the group has been involved in more than 40 clinical research trials in adult and pediatric depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, generalized anxiety disorder, ADHD and sleep disorders.
Response • Neither doctor responded to phone calls or a fax.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Doctors talk about drug firm payments
via stltoday.com
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