Some public health advocates have become concerned

[ajit.sarin]

Some public health advocates have become concerned that directly advertising prescription drugs to consumers is likely to cause some patients to pursue certain medications that may be inappropriate for their individual health situation. However, marketing to consumers should not be limited as long as physicians also continue to be educated about such medications, because a physician's prescription is still required in order for patients to obtain these drugs.

Which of the following facts would most directly address the concern articulated by the public health advocates?

After a certain number of years, prescription drugs lose patent protection and other companies can then manufacture and market generic forms of the drugs.

Consumers can now find technical drug information on the Internet, information that previously would have been available only to physicians.

Physicians are also exposed to prescription drug advertisements that are directed toward consumers.

Physicians are not susceptible to pressure from patients in determining appropriate courses of treatment.

Fewer than 15% of patients are likely to remember and ask by name for specific drugs that they see advertised in magazines or on television.

I am having some problems with strengthen and assumption based questions. I was doing fine on the gmat og questions but now i seem to get these wrong on mgmat tests. Please can someone advise on how to improve this section. I am doing good on Scs and rcs and cr is hurting my score. Help needed !

[jnelson0612]

Hi ajit,
Two things:
1) Do you have a specific question about this problem?

2) Your posted question about improving CR is best addressed in our general forum: general-questions-f9.html
Please post there and you will get great advice. This forum is limited to discussion of specific MGMAT CAT questions.

Thanks!

[josesav7]

I think I have difficulty in understanding the question asked. Which type of CR question is this? I believe I got this answer wrong because I did not understand what the question was asking for. Can you help?
thanks!

[jonvindjohnsen]

I don't really understand the correct answer.

Some health advocates is concerned that advertisement to consumers will cause some ppl to pursue bad medication.

But this is irrelevant claims the author as long as phys. is educated and make unbiased decision when making prescriptions.

Concl: A presp. is still req. to obt. drugs.

If phys. can not be pressured. This strengthens the conclusion and the authors view?
But,
This does not strengthen the advocates claim that more ppl will pursue bad drugs?

My issue, I think, may lie in the wording of the question stem. Are we supposed to find something that strengthens the whole argument or just the one part of the argument, in this case, the advocates claim?

#confused #help #thanks

[jnelson0612]

I think I have difficulty in understanding the question asked. Which type of CR question is this? I believe I got this answer wrong because I did not understand what the question was asking for. Can you help?
thanks!

This is kind of a tricky problem. I'd choose to look at it as a strengthen question. We are strengthening the author's point of view (which opposes the view of the consumer advocates).

Let's break down the argument:

Conclusion: It's okay for drug companies to directly market to consumers.
WHY?
Premise: Although customers may learn about a drug and want it, doctors have to write the prescription, and that will keep people from accessing drugs they should not have.

Assumption: Doctors use ONLY their medical judgment in deciding to prescribe a drug. They are immune to pressure from patients.

To strengthen this argument we just need to affirm the assumption.

[jnelson0612]

I don't really understand the correct answer.

Some health advocates is concerned that advertisement to consumers will cause some ppl to pursue bad medication.

But this is irrelevant claims the author as long as phys. is educated and make unbiased decision when making prescriptions.

Concl: A presp. is still req. to obt. drugs.

If phys. can not be pressured. This strengthens the conclusion and the authors view?
But,
This does not strengthen the advocates claim that more ppl will pursue bad drugs?

My issue, I think, may lie in the wording of the question stem. Are we supposed to find something that strengthens the whole argument or just the one part of the argument, in this case, the advocates claim?

#confused #help #thanks

Let's back up for a second. Are you sure that the conclusion of this argument is that a prescription is required to obtain drugs? Ask yourself, is that the idea the author wants you to walk away with? If this is the conclusion, there should be reasons why we should conclude this. Do you see reasons explaining why a prescription is required to obtain drugs?

I think that if you first work off the conclusion, and identify it, you'll have an easier time. Let us know if we can help further.

[SonuS146]

Hi,
Could you please explain the question stem?
Isn't the question asking for an option that would address the concerns of the public health advocates, i.e. that would tell us or throw some more light on the concerns of the public health advocates.
If that is the case, then option (d) is actually telling the opposite. If there is no pressure from the patients, then the physician will prescribe anything he feels right without any lobbying. Thus, even after advertising, the patients wont be able to buy any drug by themselves if that is not prescribed by the physician.

[tim]

Thus, even after advertising, the patients wont be able to buy any drug by themselves if that is not prescribed by the physician.

That is absolutely correct, and it totally addresses the concerns of the public health advocates!