Critical response The song was lauded by contemporary music critics.
NME called it "the third best track off her killer last album".
Drowned in Sound Robert Luckett commented that it is "a fascinating record...this is a record with a[n] edge, a kind of pot boiling over at any moment, ready to go off at any time vibe." He also wrote "it obeys the pop industry's well-dusted rules for a hit."
Stylus Magazine Todd Burns, in his review of the album, compared "Just like a Pill" to the other singles from the album, "
Don't Let Me Get Me" and "
Get the Party Started", writing "The guitars... sound much more integrated into the work and the overall song works far better." The song was shortlisted by
Digital Spy as a nominee for the best single of 2002, finishing third in the vote to
Red Hot Chili Peppers' "
By the Way" and
Liberty X's "
Just a Little".
Chart performance In the UK, the song scored Pink her second number-one single in that country, whilst peaking at number two in Austria, Ireland and New Zealand, and within the top 10 in many countries across the world including Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium. It peaked at number eight on the
Billboard Hot 100. In Australia, the song was a radio-only single in hopes of rising album sales. Although it was a number-one radio hit, a physical release never eventuated; however, it did appear as the
B-side to the Australian release of "
Family Portrait". ==Music video==