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/72916
  • 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/72916
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.

ATUL BUTALA

Listed Specialty: Hematology & Oncology
807 NEWELL STREET, UTICA, NY, 13502

2018 Payments: At a Glance

216

payments

$15,450

payment total

31

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 3 $6,900
Food and Beverage
 199 $3,681
Promotional Speaking/Other
 1 $2,450
Travel and Lodging
 6 $1,835
Education
 7 $584

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†
ALUNBRIG

drug

 $6,885
CABOMETYX

drug

 $3,709
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $1,657
KEYTRUDA

drug

 $441
XARELTO

drug

 $399
ELIQUIS

drug

 $198
TECENTRIQ

drug

 $168
OPDIVO

drug

 $152
XTANDI

drug

 $150
AFINITOR

drug

 $148
ZYTIGA

drug

 $136
SIR-SPHERES MICROSPHERES

device

 $119
IMBRUVICA

drug

 $109
DARZALEX

drug

 $97
SANDOSTATIN LAR

drug

 $91
VENCLEXTA

drug

 $90
LENVIMA

drug

 $77
ERLEADA

drug

 $77
PROMACTA

drug

 $74
TASIGNA

drug

 $70
† 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/72916

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Apr 13, 2018 $5,850 ALUNBRIG Consulting TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS U.S.A., INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $2,450 CABOMETYX Promotional Speaking/Other EXELIXIS INC.
Dec 13, 2018 $900 No Listed Product Consulting BAYER HEALTHCARE PHARMACEUTICALS INC. Atul Butala Physician Pc
Sep 21, 2018 $478 CABOMETYX Travel and Lodging EXELIXIS INC.
Apr 13, 2018 $418 ALUNBRIG Travel and Lodging TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS U.S.A., INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $289 CABOMETYX Travel and Lodging EXELIXIS INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $221 CABOMETYX Travel and Lodging EXELIXIS INC.
Apr 13, 2018 $219 ALUNBRIG Travel and Lodging TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS U.S.A., INC.
Apr 13, 2018 $210 ALUNBRIG Travel and Lodging TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS U.S.A., INC.
Apr 13, 2018 $163 ALUNBRIG Food and Beverage TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS U.S.A., INC.
Nov 9, 2018 $150 KEYTRUDA Consulting COMSORT, INC
Sep 22, 2018 $144 No Listed Product Food and Beverage ASD SPECIALTY HEALTHCARE, LLC
Oct 15, 2018 $125 CABOMETYX Food and Beverage EXELIXIS INC.
May 21, 2018 $125 TECENTRIQ Food and Beverage GENENTECH USA, INC.
Mar 26, 2018 $124 XARELTO Food and Beverage JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
Mar 26, 2018 $124 XARELTO Food and Beverage JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
Dec 11, 2018 $117 XARELTO Food and Beverage JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
Mar 21, 2018 $116 No Listed Product Food and Beverage TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS U.S.A., INC.
Sep 27, 2018 $115 ELIQUIS Food and Beverage E.R. SQUIBB & SONS, L.L.C.
Apr 18, 2018 $100 KEYTRUDA Food and Beverage MERCK SHARP & DOHME 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/72916

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.