2026 NPPES data Specialist NPI 1043269228 MD
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SANDY POPHAM, MD

Specialist in DULUTH, Minnesota. CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System profile including specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare prescribing data when reported.

Federal data — no proprietary rating. PlainDoctor publishes the actual CMS NPPES and Medicare records — NPI registration, specialty, practice location, and prescribing data — without a composite score or editorial opinion on top. Every field traces to a federal source.
Prescribing volume
4K
Medicare Part D claims · 563 beneficiaries · Specialist avg: 1K
Generic prescribing
88%
generic claims · 12% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$12.91
1 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)

What the federal data shows

SANDY POPHAM, MD filed 3,841 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Specialist in DULUTH, Minnesota, prescribing 88% generic.

4K
Part D claims, 2023
88%
generic prescribing
$12.91
industry payments (Sunshine Act)

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.

SANDY POPHAM, MD's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber

Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023 — across all CMS prescribers nationally

3,841 Top 9% higher than 91% of 1,370,886 prescribers

0–200: 670,926 prescribers (49%). Below this entry. 200–400: 182,923 prescribers (13%). Below this entry. 400–600: 90,619 prescribers (7%). Below this entry. 600–800: 56,224 prescribers (4%). Below this entry. 800–1,000: 40,919 prescribers (3%). Below this entry. 1,000–1,200: 31,827 prescribers (2%). Below this entry. 1,200–1,400: 26,224 prescribers (2%). Below this entry. 1,400–1,600: 21,710 prescribers (2%). Below this entry. 1,600–1,800: 19,072 prescribers (1%). Below this entry. 1,800–2,000: 16,451 prescribers (1%). Below this entry. 2,000–2,200: 213,991 prescribers (16%). This entry sits in this band. This provider 0 2K+ every Part D prescriber (claims/yr), bucketed by value

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 SANDY POPHAM, MD?

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 05/08/2006

NPI 1043269228

Primary specialty

Specialist

High-volume

69,658 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

3,841 161% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 1,474

Specialty distribution in Minnesota

How Specialist compares to other specialties among Minnesota providers

Minnesota providers

Specialist share within Minnesota

1. Specialist42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Specialist share within Minnesota

Specialty board-certification context

Estimated specialty board-certified rate — Specialist (ABMS / AOA reference)

Quality data not reported
Est. board-certified rate
78%
Specialist ABMS/AOA estimate

Est. board-certified rate (Specialist) — ABMS / AOA estimate

0%100%78%
Est. board-certified rate (Specialist) — ABMS / AOA estimate

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).

SANDY POPHAM, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Specialist provider holding MD credentials at 1001 E SUPERIOR ST STE L201, DULUTH, MN, 55802, with a listed phone of (218) 249-7980. NPI 1043269228 was issued on 05/08/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what POPHAM 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 3,841 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 563 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $565K in drug spend, split 12% brand-name and 88% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 3.0%. 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.

Specialist is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 69,658 enrolled providers across 55 states and an average of 1,474 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

1001 E SUPERIOR ST STE L201
DULUTH, MN 55802

Provider Details

NPI 1043269228
Specialty Specialist
Credentials MD
Gender Female
NPI Issued 05/08/2006

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where SANDY POPHAM, MD bills Medicare from. Star ratings (1-5) are CMS Hospital Compare's "Hospital overall rating" — a composite of mortality, readmission, patient experience, safety, timely care, and efficient use of medical imaging measures. Source: CMS Care Compare.

ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL OF DULUTH
DULUTH, MN

Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).

Industry payments received (2024) — CMS Open Payments transparency data

The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act (part of the Affordable Care Act) requires drug and medical-device manufacturers + group purchasing organizations to publicly report payments and other transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals. The data below covers 2024 for SANDY POPHAM, MD. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$13

Largest payer

Travere Therapeutics, Inc.

Most common payment type

Food and Beverage

Industry payments are not necessarily indicators of bias — they include research funding, consulting fees for evidence-based work, royalties for inventions, food at conferences, and similar items. The disclosure exists for transparency. Read our methodology for how we interpret this data.

Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Typical

SANDY POPHAM, MD — brand share 12.0%
Specialty average (est.)

12% brand-name claims vs 88% generic, on 3,841 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.

3,841
Total Claims
$565K
Total Drug Cost
563
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
8,400
Total Day Supply
242,920
Brand vs Generic
12% brand / 88% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$429K
Generic Drug Cost
$133K
Opioid Claims
115 (3.0% rate)
Antibiotic Claims
113

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
72.8 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
3.06
Gender Split
51% female / 49% male
Age Distribution
<65: 88, 65-74: 215, 75-84: 190, 85+: 70

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.

What SANDY POPHAM, MD prescribes most

Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023

claims
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File As of 2023
Drug Claims
Furosemide
364
Losartan Potassium
364
Allopurinol
258
Lisinopril
195
Amlodipine Besylate
169
Tamsulosin Hcl
136
Metoprolol Succinate
123
Sevelamer Carbonate
116
Hydrochlorothiazide
98
Calcium Acetate
87

* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.

Specialist Overview

How SANDY POPHAM, MD fits within the Specialist landscape nationally.

69,658
Specialist Providers in US
55
States with Specialist
1,474
Avg Claims per Provider

SANDY POPHAM, MD's 3,841 claims are above the specialty average of 1,474.

Nearby Specialist Providers in Minnesota

Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Minnesota, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as POPHAM.

Compare Specialist nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SANDY POPHAM, MD's specialty?
SANDY POPHAM, MD specializes in Specialist and practices in DULUTH, Minnesota. Credentials: MD.
How much does SANDY POPHAM, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, SANDY POPHAM, MD wrote 3,841 Medicare Part D claims totaling $565K in drug costs for 563 beneficiaries.
Where is SANDY POPHAM, MD located?
SANDY POPHAM, MD is located at 1001 E SUPERIOR ST STE L201, DULUTH, MN, 55802. Phone: (218) 249-7980.
What is SANDY POPHAM, MD's NPI number?
SANDY POPHAM, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1043269228, issued on 05/08/2006.
Does SANDY POPHAM, MD prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
SANDY POPHAM, MD's prescribing is 12% brand-name and 88% generic drugs by claim count, with $429K in brand drug costs.
Does SANDY POPHAM, MD prescribe opioids?
Yes, SANDY POPHAM, MD had 115 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 3.0%.
How many Specialist providers are there in the US?
There are 69,658 Specialist providers across 55 states in the US. The average Specialist provider writes 1,474 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does SANDY POPHAM, MD prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, SANDY POPHAM, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Furosemide, Losartan Potassium, Allopurinol. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does SANDY POPHAM, MD accept Medicare?
SANDY POPHAM, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 3,841 Part D claims and 563 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify SANDY POPHAM, MD's credentials?
SANDY POPHAM, MD's NPI is 1043269228 with credentials MD. You can verify this through the NPPES NPI Registry, check state medical board records, and confirm board certification through the ABMS or AOA.

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