Pauline Merrill, MD
Ophthalmology · Brevard, NCNPI 1104826841
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
The money is spread across several categories — speaking fees (36.6%), other and ownership interests — rather than concentrated in one kind of arrangement. 22 manufacturers reported payments, led by US Retina LLC at 47.0% of the total. Reporting peaked in 2021 at $22,391 and has fallen 94.9% since, to $1,145 in 2025. Among ophthalmology clinicians in NC with any reported payments, this total sits in the top 5% — high for the specialty, which is a reason to read the composition above rather than the number alone.
Across 94 payments — averaging $646.56 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- US Retina LLC$29K
- Alimera Sciences, Inc.$18K
- Lumenis Ltd.$5K
- Gilead$4K
- Biotissue Holdings Inc.$2K
- Bausch & Lomb, A Division Of Bausch Health US, LLC$883
- plus $3K from 16 others
Across 14 payments — averaging $3329.42 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.
- Gilead$32K
- Roche TCRC, Inc.$14K
- Alimera Sciences, Inc.$500
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$5,83010%
- Speaking & faculty fees$22,26737%
- Food & beverage$4,1197%
- Ownership interest$11,93120%
- Other$16,63027%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| US Retina LLC | 7 | $28,561 |
| Alimera Sciences, Inc. | 15 | $18,300 |
| Lumenis Ltd. | 1 | $4,667 |
| Gilead | 2 | $3,601 |
| Biotissue Holdings Inc. | 1 | $1,500 |
| Bausch & Lomb, A Division Of Bausch Health US, LLC | 5 | $883 |
| Eyepoint US, Inc. | 9 | $555 |
| Astellas Pharma US Inc | 8 | $541 |
| AbbVie(2 entities) | 8 | $450 |
| Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc. | 10 | $429 |
| Alcon Research LLC | 1 | $182 |
| Novartis | 2 | $166 |
| Regeneron | 1 | $143 |
| Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 3 | $136 |
| Genentech USA, Inc. | 6 | $133 |
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 5 | $130 |
| Alcon | 1 | $125 |
| Genentech, Inc. | 2 | $118 |
| ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 3 | $74 |
| Biogen | 2 | $36 |
| Samsara Vision | 1 | $29 |
| Coherus Oncology, Inc. | 1 | $20 |
What the payments were tied to
Products named in the reported payments. Only payments of $100 or more are attributed here — the typical reported payment nationally is a meal worth about $16, and listing those product-by-product would be noise.
How this compares
$60,777 in reported general payments places this provider in the 95th percentile of 588 ophthalmology providers in North Carolina.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Difluprednate | 23 | $2,676 |
| Prednisolone Acetate | 49 | $2,165 |
| Brimonidine Tartrate | 13 | $259 |
| Ketorolac Tromethamine | 18 | $131 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other ophthalmology in Brevard
- Preeya GuptaRaleigh$1.8M
- Julie WoodwardDurham$1M
- Rajiv ShahWinston Salem$909K
- Lejla VajzovicDurham$681K
- Karl StonecipherGreensboro$653K
- Terry KimDurham$605K
- Keith WalterWinston Salem$397K
- Leon HerndonDurham$230K
- Thomas MundorfCharlotte$220K
- Glenn JaffeDurham$218K
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.