Scott examines how rare but severe drug side effects often lead to underprescription compared to drugs with common but less severe side effects, potentially resulting in suboptimal patient care. Longer summary

This post discusses the issue of rare but severe side effects in psychiatric medications versus common but less severe side effects. Scott uses two main examples: nefazodone vs SSRIs for depression, and modafinil vs Adderall for stimulants. He argues that drugs with rare but spectacular side effects (like nefazodone and modafinil) are often underprescribed compared to drugs with more common but less severe side effects (like SSRIs and Adderall). The post explores the reasons for this, including doctors' risk aversion, lawsuit concerns, and media coverage of rare side effects. Scott suggests that this pattern may lead to suboptimal treatment choices for patients. Shorter summary