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/196720
  • 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/196720
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.


SHYAM VARADARAJULU

Listed Specialty: Gastroenterology
2415 N ORANGE AVE, SUITE 200, ORLANDO, FL, 32804-5505

2018 Payments: At a Glance

42

payments

$17,688

payment total

8

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
9 $8,164
Promotional Speaking/Other
1 $4,125
Consulting
5 $4,035
Food and Beverage
27 $1,364

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
OLYMPUS ULTRASOUND DEVICES

device

$6,818
EXPECT

device

$4,125
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$2,367
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

$1,687
OLYMPUS ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND SCOPES

device

$801
OLYMPUS EUS DEVICES

device

$615
THERAPIES

device

$499
BEACON

device

$122
HUMIRA

drug

$120
COOK MEDICAL HEMOSTASIS

device

$93
GENERAL - BILIARY DEVICES

device

$83
DREAMWIRE

device

$81
BARRX

device

$57
ACQUIRE

device

$52
GENERAL ENDOCHOICE

device

$49
AXIOS

device

$41
SIMPONI

drug

$29
STELARA

drug

$29
CREON

drug

$27
XIFAXAN

drug

$14
† 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/196720

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 7, 2018 $5,645 OLYMPUS ULTRASOUND DEVICES Travel and Lodging OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Feb 7, 2018 $4,125 EXPECT Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION ENDOSONOGRAPHY LLC
Apr 18, 2018 $1,230 No Listed Product Consulting SPIRATION, INC.
Mar 14, 2018 $1,125 GENERAL THERAPIES Consulting BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION ENDOSONOGRAPHY LLC
Aug 8, 2018 $1,121 OLYMPUS ULTRASOUND DEVICES Travel and Lodging OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Jan 25, 2018 $615 OLYMPUS EUS DEVICES Consulting OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Feb 23, 2018 $615 No Listed Product Consulting SPIRATION, INC.
Nov 29, 2018 $562 OLYMPUS ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND SCOPES Travel and Lodging OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Feb 14, 2018 $499 THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Feb 23, 2018 $450 No Listed Product Consulting OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Mar 14, 2018 $178 GENERAL THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION ENDOSONOGRAPHY LLC
Jun 1, 2018 $129 GENERAL THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Apr 27, 2018 $120 HUMIRA Food and Beverage ABBVIE, INC.
Jan 4, 2018 $111 BEACON Food and Beverage COVIDIEN LP
Jun 7, 2018 $93 COOK MEDICAL HEMOSTASIS Food and Beverage COOK MEDICAL LLC
Nov 29, 2018 $90 OLYMPUS ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND SCOPES Travel and Lodging OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Dec 17, 2018 $86 GENERAL THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 8, 2018 $83 GENERAL - BILIARY DEVICES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 3, 2018 $83 GENERAL THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 16, 2018 $81 DREAMWIRE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION

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/196720

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.