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/266019
  • 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/266019
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.

PETER TOTH

Listed Specialty: Family Medicine
101 E MILLER RD, STERLING, IL, 61081-1252

2018 Payments: At a Glance

291

payments

$383,208

payment total

10

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
 75 $230K
Consulting
 18 $68,664
Travel and Lodging
 106 $65,730
Honoraria
 3 $12,000
Food and Beverage
 86 $6,788
Education
 3 $20

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†
REPATHA

drug

 $93,633
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $59,822
PRALUENT

drug

 $56,050
VICTOZA

drug

 $53,343
LIVALO

drug

 $52,475
VASCEPA

drug

 $49,379
OZEMPIC

drug

 $9,645
LIPTRUZET

drug

 $5,605
TRULICITY

drug

 $2,200
TRESIBA

drug

 $1,050
FARXIGA

drug

 $5
† 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.

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 9, 2018 $15,853 VASCEPA Consulting AMARIN PHARMA INC.
May 18, 2018 $10,000 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORPORATION
Apr 19, 2018 $6,626 PRALUENT Promotional Speaking/Other SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
Sep 26, 2018 $6,626 PRALUENT Promotional Speaking/Other SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
Apr 9, 2018 $6,626 PRALUENT Promotional Speaking/Other REGENERON HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Jul 9, 2018 $6,626 PRALUENT Promotional Speaking/Other REGENERON HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Jun 6, 2018 $6,600 REPATHA Consulting AMGEN INC.
Jul 11, 2018 $6,388 VICTOZA Consulting NOVO NORDISK INC
Dec 2, 2018 $6,383 REPATHA Travel and Lodging AMGEN INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $6,096 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORPORATION
May 14, 2018 $6,000 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORPORATION
May 2, 2018 $5,680 PRALUENT Promotional Speaking/Other SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
Sep 27, 2018 $5,500 No Listed Product Consulting MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORPORATION
Jun 24, 2018 $5,350 No Listed Product Consulting ASTRAZENECA PHARMACEUTICALS LP
May 6, 2018 $4,795 LIPTRUZET Travel and Lodging MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORPORATION
Dec 20, 2018 $4,400 REPATHA Consulting AMGEN INC.
Nov 28, 2018 $4,288 OZEMPIC Promotional Speaking/Other NOVO NORDISK INC
Dec 5, 2018 $4,074 VASCEPA Consulting AMARIN PHARMA INC.
Aug 16, 2018 $4,000 No Listed Product Honoraria KOWA PHARMACEUTICALS AMERICA, INC.
Oct 8, 2018 $4,000 No Listed Product Honoraria KOWA PHARMACEUTICALS AMERICA, 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/266019

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.