Don W,
I am curious as to why you seem to take the position that the author of this piece is "selling something". If anything, he seems to be against doing so (the selling of psych. meds). As too whether or not his arguments are backed by legitimate studies, i am sure that the referenced works probably contain citations and could be checked.
Yes, the author has an obvious viewpoint which is different from the status quo and may cause people discomfort; but, IMO I think he makes a number of good points about the questionable long-term impact of many these drugs. I think its good to hear from voices like his (which are often drowned out), especially when millions of millions of dollars, (not to mention our health) are at stake.