Prescriptions, paradoxes, and perversities

Abstract

This work presents the results of an analysis of online patient reviews and doctor ratings of 23 major antidepressants, along with 55,498 ratings of 74 different drugs from other therapeutic classes. It finds a strong negative correlation between patient satisfaction and doctor preference, with newer drugs being rated worse by patients and prescribed more often. The author concludes that this may be due to financial incentives for pharmaceutical companies to promote newer drugs, despite their potential inferiority to older ones. The analysis also suggests that older psychiatric drugs may be more effective than newer ones, but more research is needed to confirm this finding. – AI-generated abstract.