Joseph Russell, MD
Otolaryngology/Facial Plastic Surgery · North Charleston, SCNPI 1578855433
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
Almost everything reported here is food and beverage — 100.0% of the total across 42 separate payments, which is the pattern of a clinician who attends manufacturer presentations rather than one with a consulting arrangement. 17 manufacturers reported payments, led by Stryker at 38.0% of the total. Reporting peaked in 2019 at $306 and has fallen 74.4% since, to $78 in 2025.
Across 42 payments — averaging $17.33 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Stryker$277
- Optinose US, Inc.$142
- Alk-abello, Inc$74
- Sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC$24
- GC Biopharma USA, Inc.$23
- GSK$22
- plus $167 from 11 others
Across 19 payments — averaging $5967.89 each. Payments tied to a research study. These frequently flow through the physician to a hospital or research institution rather than to the physician personally.
- Stryker$113K
What the payments were for
- Food & beverage$728100%
Most of this is food and beverage — typically meals provided during product presentations at a clinic or hospital. Nationally that is the single largest category of reported payments by count.
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Stryker | 16 | $277 |
| Optinose US, Inc. | 8 | $142 |
| Alk-abello, Inc | 4 | $74 |
| Sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC | 1 | $24 |
| GC Biopharma USA, Inc. | 1 | $23 |
| GSK | 1 | $22 |
| Pharming Healthcare, Inc. | 1 | $21 |
| Sanofi | 1 | $19 |
| CSL Behring | 1 | $17 |
| Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA | 1 | $16 |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | 1 | $15 |
| Kaleo, Inc. | 1 | $15 |
| Smith+Nephew | 1 | $13 |
| Misonix Inc | 1 | $13 |
| Novartis | 1 | $13 |
| AstraZeneca | 1 | $13 |
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 1 | $12 |
How this compares
Too few otolaryngology/facial plastic surgery providers in South Carolinato place this figure against a meaningful peer group, so we don't.
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| Azelastine Hcl | 155 | $4,787 |
| Azelastine-FluticasoneAzelastine/Fluticasone | 13 | $2,748 |
| Fluticasone Propionate | 153 | $2,676 |
| Omeprazole | 63 | $1,444 |
| Ipratropium Bromide | 38 | $1,163 |
| Famotidine | 28 | $482 |
| Doxycycline Monohydrate | 17 | $475 |
| Amoxicillin-Clavulanate PotassAmoxicillin/Potassium Clav | 18 | $193 |
| Prednisone | 56 | $193 |
| Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride | 13 | $161 |
| Cephalexin | 29 | $145 |
| Celecoxib | 16 | $131 |
| Methylprednisolone | 19 | $117 |
| Ciprofloxacin Hcl | 11 | $114 |
| Amitriptyline Hcl | 12 | $101 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other otolaryngology/facial plastic surgery in North Charleston
- Michael PetersLittle River$29K
- Thomas SellnerGreenville$3K
- Sheila PutmanMyrtle Beach$3K
- Paul EvangelistiSumter$2K
- Helen MosesSumter$1K
- Nicholas LukacsFort Mill$1K
- Hans CarlsonGreenville$1K
- William GilesColumbia$947
- Gregory EsselmanAiken$822
- Adam AbramColumbia$547
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.