JAMES MCDOWELL, OD
Optometrist in KERSHAW, South Carolina. CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System profile including specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare prescribing data when reported.
What the federal data shows
JAMES MCDOWELL, OD filed 458 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Optometrist in KERSHAW, South Carolina, prescribing 74% generic.
- 458
- Part D claims, 2023
- 74%
- generic prescribing
Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records (NPPES, Medicare Part D, MIPS, Open Payments) — no proprietary rating or editorial opinion is applied.
JAMES MCDOWELL, OD's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber
Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023 — across all CMS prescribers nationally
458 Top 38% higher than 62% of 1,370,886 prescribers
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more prescribers. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File · 2023
What does the federal data show about JAMES MCDOWELL, OD?
Quality data not reportedPrimary specialty
Medicare Part D claims
Specialty distribution in South Carolina
How Optometrist compares to other specialties among South Carolina providers
Optometrist share within South Carolina
Optometrist is one of the more visible NUCC categories in South Carolina
Each bar reflects the share of in-state providers whose primary NUCC taxonomy matches the specialty. Long tail of ~690 NUCC codes folded into "Other" to keep the comparison legible.
Specialty board-certification context
Estimated specialty board-certified rate — Optometrist (ABMS / AOA reference)
- Est. board-certified rate
- 78%
- Optometrist ABMS/AOA estimate
Est. board-certified rate (Optometrist) — ABMS / AOA estimate
Verify credentials
- Verify via ABMS free public lookup
- Verify via AOA osteopathic boards
- Specialty volume Optometrist US NPIs
Specialty board-certified rate — Optometrist estimate
Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus Maintenance of Certification cycles. CMS does not publish a per-provider board-certification field; the figure shown is the specialty-level estimated rate from ABMS / AOA reference data.
The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores providers 0–100 across four performance categories: Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities, weighted under 42 CFR §414.1380. Reporting is voluntary for many small practices, so absence of a MIPS score is not a quality signal.
Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus continuous Maintenance of Certification cycles. Verify any individual provider's status through certificationmatters.org (ABMS) or osteopathic.org (AOA).
JAMES MCDOWELL, OD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Optometrist provider holding OD credentials at 112 EAST HILTON ST, KERSHAW, SC, 29067, with a listed phone of (803) 475-6075. NPI 1851447932 was issued on 01/25/2007. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what MCDOWELL most recently submitted to CMS rather than a vetted directory listing, which is why patients should always confirm the practice is still at this location before scheduling.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 458 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 93 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $16K in drug spend, split 26% brand-name and 74% generic by claim count. These figures capture only Medicare Part D — commercial insurance, Medicaid, and cash-pay prescriptions are not included, and any drug-beneficiary cell under 11 is suppressed by CMS for patient privacy.
Optometrist is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 60,463 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 257 Part D claims per prescriber, so the context for interpreting these metrics differs meaningfully from a primary-care baseline. Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available government data, not medical advice, a malpractice database, or a quality rating. Inclusion here does not imply a recommendation, and absence of complaints or sanctions on this page does not mean none exist — always verify credentials through the NPPES NPI Registry, your state medical board, and the ABMS or AOA before making healthcare decisions.
Practice Address
Provider Details
| NPI | 1851447932 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Optometrist |
| Credentials | OD |
| Gender | Male |
| NPI Issued | 01/25/2007 |
Verify this provider's license
PlainDoctor pulls this profile from the CMS NPPES public registry. Confirm JAMES MCDOWELL, OD's current license status, disciplinary history, and board certifications with the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners in South Carolina before relying on this page for a clinical or care decision.
How we sourced this profile
Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Above average
26% brand-name claims vs 74% generic, on 458 2023 Medicare Part D claims.
The federal Medicare Part D Generic Dispensing Rate national benchmark sits near 90% generic / 10% brand for primary-care prescribers, per CMS Office of the Actuary 2024 estimates. Higher brand share is common in specialty prescribing where generic equivalents are not available.
Medicare Part D Prescribing Data
CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 845
- Total Day Supply
- 24,479
- Brand vs Generic
- 26% brand / 74% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $8K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $9K
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 74.5 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 1.56
- Gender Split
- 52% female / 48% male
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What JAMES MCDOWELL, OD prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Latanoprost
Latanoprost
333 claims
- Brimonidine Tartrate 41
Brimonidine Tartrate
41 claims
- Timolol Maleate 22
Timolol Maleate
22 claims
- Lumigan 14
Lumigan
14 claims
- Dorzolamide Hcl 12
Dorzolamide Hcl
12 claims
- Travoprost 12
Travoprost
12 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Latanoprost | 333 |
| Brimonidine Tartrate | 41 |
| Timolol Maleate | 22 |
| Lumigan Bimatoprost | 14 |
| Dorzolamide Hcl | 12 |
| Travoprost | 12 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Optometrist Overview
How JAMES MCDOWELL, OD fits within the Optometrist landscape nationally.
JAMES MCDOWELL, OD's 458 claims are above the specialty average of 257.
Nearby Optometrist Providers in South Carolina
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in South Carolina, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as MCDOWELL.
Compare Optometrist nationally: see state-by-state distribution →
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is JAMES MCDOWELL, OD's specialty? ▼
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Data Sources
- Provider Directory
- CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), download.cms.gov/nppes, updated monthly. Contains NPI, specialty, credentials, and practice location.
- Specialty Classification
- NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (nucc.org), the industry standard for classifying provider specialties in Medicare and Medicaid billing.
- Prescribing Data
- CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File (2023). Includes claims, drug costs, beneficiaries, and opioid prescribing rates.
- Limitations
- Provider data is self-reported to CMS. Prescribing data reflects Medicare Part D only and does not include commercial insurance, Medicaid, or cash prescriptions. Claims below 11 beneficiaries are suppressed by CMS for privacy.
See our complete data methodology for details on how we collect and process government data.
Data as of April 2026 (NPPES) / 2023 (Medicare Part D). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Disclaimer: Data from CMS NPPES and Medicare Part D. PlainDoctor does not rate or rank providers. Provider information is self-reported and may not be current. Always verify information directly with the provider. About · Methodology