Concordance between dermatologist self-reported and industry-reported interactions at a national dermatology conference.

Physician-industry interactions are prevalent. Accurate reporting allows for transparency regarding potential conflicts of interest. We sought to compare the self-reported interactions in the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting disclosures with the industry-reported interactions in the Open Payments (OP) database. We performed a retrospective review of the 2014 OP database and the presenter disclosures for the AAD 73rd Annual Meeting in 2015. We examined general, research, and associated research payments for 768 dermatologists, totaling $35,627,365 in 2014. Although differences in the categorization and requirements for disclosure between the AAD and the OP database may account for much of the discordance, dermatologists should be aware of potentially negative public perceptions regarding transparency and prevalence of physician-industry interaction. Dermatologists should review their industry-reported interactions listed in the OP database and continue to disclose conflicts of interest as accurately as possible.

Opioid Prescribing Patterns Among American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Members in the Medicare Part D Database.

PURPOSE: To assess opioid prescribing patterns among American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) members. METHODS: An observational, retrospective, cohort study of ASOPRS members' prescribing patterns in the 2013-2016 Medicare Part D Prescriber database. These prescribers were stratified by years in practice, sex, and geography. The ASOPRS member cohort was compared with all ophthalmologists, as a group, and other surgeons. RESULTS: The authors identified 617 surgeons in the 2017 ASOPRS directory. Members wrote an average of 45 opioid prescriptions/year. Almost half (45%) wrote <10 prescriptions. Those with >10 prescriptions averaged 78 annually. A minority wrote >100 prescriptions per year (14.8%). Overall, opioids comprised 16.5% of all prescriptions written by ASOPRS members. Despite seeing a similar number of beneficiaries (p = 0.20), male members prescribed a greater number (p < 0.05) and a higher rate (p < 0.05) of opioids than female members. Older members had a lower opioid prescription rate (p < 0.0001). Many heavy opioid prescribers practiced in states with high opioid overdose deaths. CONCLUSIONS: American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery members prescribe moderate amounts of opioids at a rate (16.5%) higher than all of ophthalmology (4%), above the national mean (6.8%), but lower than other surgical services (36.5%). Male gender, younger age, and practice in states with high opioid-related deaths were correlated to number of prescriptions. Prescribing patterns may naturally relate to the type of surgical intervention and population. Further research is warranted to understand opioid prescriptions and their role in the opioid epidemic.