Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/
You can print this page and show it to your doctor.

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

ProPublica's Dollars for Docs database lets you search for payments to U.S.-based doctors made by pharmaceutical and medical device companies between August 2013 and December 2018. The disclosure of these payments is required under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, a provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

About This Information

  • The information that appears here comes directly from the federal government. Companies must attest to its accuracy, and doctors have the ability to contest information they believe is in error.
  • This site includes payments for such activities as speaking, consulting, meals, travel and royalties. It does not include payments for clinical research.
  • It is legal for companies to make payments to doctors as long as the payments are not a kickback or inducement to use their products.
  • Some doctors say collaborative relationships, particularly those involving research, are necessary to develop new treatments and cures. But many ethicists have raised questions about the payments, and studies show that they may influence doctors' prescribing decisions.
  • Only you can decide if this matters to you and if so, whether you want to talk with your doctor about it. If you plan to talk with your doctor (or if you already have), please help us by filling out this short survey: propub.li/participate-d4d

Preparing for Your Conversation

If you decide you'd like to talk to your doctor about this, please keep in mind:

  • Many health care professionals in our database have similar names, so you should start by asking your doctor if the person mentioned in this payment record is really him/her.
  • Your doctor may not know he or she is listed as receiving payments, especially if the payments are small. You can direct your doctor to this site (the URL will be printed at the top of the payment record) or directly to the government's site here: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/175060
  • Some doctors are happy to discuss this information with you. Others might not be. The best approach is to ask questions and to not be accusatory.

Questions You Might Want to Ask

  • Is this you?
  • What type of work do you do with these companies?
  • Have you prescribed me any drugs that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?
  • Are there non-drug alternatives that I may want to consider first?
  • Are there less expensive generic alternatives to the drugs you have prescribed?
  • What devices have you used in my care that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?

Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/175060
If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

AMIR SAFFARIAN

Listed Specialty: Urology
18181 BUTTERFIELD BLVD, SUITE 185, MORGAN HILL, CA, 95037-8103

2018 Payments: At a Glance

30

payments

$1,792

payment total

13

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 1 $1,000
Food and Beverage
 29 $792

Drugs & Devices in 2018

Totals listed below account for all payments from that mention this product. Beginning in 2016, the government began classifying products as drugs, devices, biologics or medical supplies. Below, you will see drugs (drugs and biologics) and devices (devices and medical supplies). If a payment record mentions more than one product, the entire value will be included in each of those products. When no products are listed, they are not included in the list below.

Product Name Product Type Payments†
BRACHYTHERAPY SOURCE

device

 $1,000
INTERSTIM

device

 $132
UROLIFT

device

 $125
ERLEADA

drug

 $104
INTERSTIM ICON

device

 $101
TITAN

device

 $76
AVEED

drug

 $47
TESTOPEL

drug

 $47
XIAFLEX

drug

 $47
GENERAL BPH

device

 $38
BOTOX

drug

 $36
LUPRON

drug

 $35
CHANTIX

drug

 $22
ELIQUIS

drug

 $22
ANDROGEL

drug

 $21
COOK MEDICAL PERC SETS

device

 $20
TOVIAZ

drug

 $17
XTANDI

drug

 $17
ZYTIGA

drug

 $15
ABIRATERONE ACETATE TABLETS

drug

 $13
† May not add up to dollar total at top of page, since a payment record may not be associated with any product or can be associated with several products.

For ease of printing, only the 20 drugs and devices with the highest payments are displayed. For a complete list, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/175060

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Apr 18, 2018 $1,000 BRACHYTHERAPY SOURCE Consulting ISORAY, INC
May 19, 2018 $125 UROLIFT Food and Beverage NEOTRACT INC. The Elements Agency LLC
May 19, 2018 $90 INTERSTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Dec 7, 2018 $71 INTERSTIM ICON Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Sep 25, 2018 $69 ERLEADA Food and Beverage JANSSEN SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS, LLC
Dec 30, 2018 $48 TITAN Food and Beverage COLOPLAST CORP
May 18, 2018 $42 INTERSTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 11, 2018 $25 XIAFLEX TESTOPEL AVEED Food and Beverage ENDO PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
Aug 14, 2018 $24 ERLEADA Food and Beverage JANSSEN BIOTECH, INC.
Dec 10, 2018 $23 GENERAL BPH Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 8, 2018 $22 AVEED TESTOPEL XIAFLEX Food and Beverage ENDO PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
Apr 18, 2018 $21 ANDROGEL LUPRON Food and Beverage ABBVIE, INC.
May 15, 2018 $20 COOK MEDICAL PERC SETS Food and Beverage COOK MEDICAL LLC
Jul 6, 2018 $18 BOTOX Food and Beverage ALLERGAN INC.
Oct 30, 2018 $17 BOTOX Food and Beverage ALLERGAN INC.
Jun 27, 2018 $17 TOVIAZ XTANDI Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.
May 19, 2018 $17 TITAN Food and Beverage COLOPLAST CORP
May 12, 2018 $15 ZYTIGA Food and Beverage JANSSEN BIOTECH, INC.
Oct 9, 2018 $15 GENERAL BPH Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 27, 2018 $14 LUPRON Food and Beverage ABBVIE, INC.

For ease of printing, 20 payments are displayed, the largest appearing on top. For a full list of payments, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/175060

Note: We have made some effort to normalize the data and eliminate duplicates, but the data is primarily as it has been reported by the companies to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. To purchase the normalized data, please visit the ProPublica Data Store. If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This site includes data published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on June 28, 2019.