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/356939
  • 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/356939
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.

TIMOTHY WEST

Listed Specialty: Neurology
317 W PUEBLO ST, SANTA BARBARA, CA, 93105-4310

2018 Payments: At a Glance

96

payments

$118,856

payment total

9

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
 26 $75,121
Consulting
 6 $32,219
Travel and Lodging
 19 $9,872
Food and Beverage
 44 $1,592
Education
 1 $52

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†
TECFIDERA

drug

 $40,512
TYSABRI

drug

 $26,425
REBIF

drug

 $19,764
GILENYA

drug

 $14,112
FTY720D

drug

 $11,412
BAF312A

drug

 $10,199
AUBAGIO

drug

 $6,774
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $6,696
MAVENCLAD

drug

 $269
MS DISEASE STATE

drug

 $38
AMPYRA

drug

 $32
SPINRAZA

drug

 $26
XYREM

drug

 $23
TROKENDI XR

drug

 $21
LEMTRADA

drug

 $19
OCREVUS

drug

 $14
ZINBRYTA

drug

 $10
† 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
Nov 29, 2018 $6,825 TECFIDERA Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
Jun 29, 2018 $6,300 TYSABRI TECFIDERA Consulting BIOGEN, INC.
Sep 10, 2018 $6,150 REBIF Consulting EMD SERONO, INC. SANTA BARBARA NEUROLOGY CONSULTING, LLC
Dec 4, 2018 $6,121 FTY720D BAF312A Consulting NOVARTIS PHARMA AG
Dec 12, 2018 $6,038 No Listed Product Consulting BIOGEN, INC.
Aug 2, 2018 $5,850 TYSABRI Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
May 5, 2018 $4,950 TYSABRI Consulting BIOGEN, INC.
Dec 4, 2018 $4,078 FTY720D BAF312A Travel and Lodging NOVARTIS PHARMA AG
Sep 6, 2018 $3,880 AUBAGIO Promotional Speaking/Other GENZYME CORPORATION Santa Barbara Neurology Consulting, LLC
Sep 20, 2018 $3,600 TECFIDERA Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
May 16, 2018 $3,600 TYSABRI Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
May 9, 2018 $3,150 TYSABRI Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
May 10, 2018 $3,150 TECFIDERA Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
Nov 30, 2018 $3,150 TECFIDERA Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
Sep 26, 2018 $3,150 TECFIDERA Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
Aug 22, 2018 $3,150 TECFIDERA Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
Aug 23, 2018 $3,150 TECFIDERA Promotional Speaking/Other BIOGEN, INC.
Aug 17, 2018 $2,870 REBIF Promotional Speaking/Other EMD SERONO, INC. SANTA BARBARA NEUROLOGY CONSULTING, LLC
Jul 23, 2018 $2,870 REBIF Promotional Speaking/Other EMD SERONO, INC. SANTA BARBARA NEUROLOGY CONSULTING, LLC
Nov 6, 2018 $2,870 REBIF Promotional Speaking/Other EMD SERONO, INC. SANTA BARBARA NEUROLOGY CONSULTING, LLC

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/356939

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.