Side Effects May Include...

It's been an intense last couple months in the political arena. It ended relatively well for the supporters of the bill in the recent health care reform craze that has swept and divided the country.
Given the current state of the economy and rate of bankruptcy due to health care expenses it had become quiet clear that a sea change was required. So thanks to Obama and his Washington friends, 32 million Americans previously having no health care coverage are now under some sort of a universal plan. Additionally, this bill has freed us all from the cranky insurance companies rejecting or dropping claimants due to preexisting health conditions or a sudden disease that pops up unexpectedly (can't believe this took so long!!) Granted there are a lot of unhappy Republicans who don't believe in the cause and effects of the plan in discussion, but in a democratic society we should all do our part in supporting the whole so the additional Medicare taxes will hurt less than help.
One issue that perhaps requires immediate attention is the free and deliberate use of prescription drugs among various facets of the population. Fulfilling the legal requirement of stating all disclaimers and side effects, drug companies have used amazing marketing and psychological techniques to convince the masses their need and dependence of various unnecessary and exaggerated pharmaceutical drugs. It is amazing to see how personalized and tailored certain commercials are on print and television, and how boldly they attempt to convince millions of people that their problem (whatever that might be) is indeed a disease and needs immediate chemical attention to cure.
Makers of psychological drugs, do this particularly well by spinning stress related from actual life happenings as a chemical imbalance and mental disease. Engulfed in their pool of confusion and depression, people buy into these theories and later end up buying the drugs that will eventually desentisize their emotions and create a "balance" in their brain to make their boo-boos go away. On a particularly stressful day, beware of the "you might be suffering from blah blah" gimmick. Everyone is not sick! Sounds like legal drug use to me, but ah, the beauties of free market I suppose. Buy at your own risk.
I believe that a tighter monitoring of the standards that doctors use to prescribe certain (actually all) medications is needed. If it is illegal for tobacco companies to advertise on television due to the addictive nature of cigarettes, isn't it time we regulate how pharmaceutical companies aim and direct their advertising since prescription drugs have addictive tendencies as well? I guess I'm more concerned about their strategy in attempting to convince a set group of people that they have some type of a brain related disorder (depression or biopolar tendencies or lack of sleep or XYZ), and a regular legal drug intake will solve their issues. Maybe the answer to people's depressed states is not a $20/pill-popping schedule, but better management of stress and resources. Side effects may include clarity of head, sober decision making, and decreased intake of chemicals (darn).