Advertisement: Of the many over-the-counter medications marketed for

Question

Advertisement: Of the many over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache, SineEase costs the least per dose. And SineEase is as effective per dose as the most effective of those other medications. So for relief from sinus headaches, SineEase is the best buy.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

(A) Most of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache are equally effective per dose in providing such relief.

(B) Many of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache contain the same active ingredient as SineEase.

(C) People who suffer from frequent sinus headaches are strongly advised to consult a doctor before taking any over-the-counter medication.

(D) An over-the-counter medication that is marketed for the relief of symptoms of head cold is identical in composition to SineEase but costs less per dose.

(E) The per dose price for any given over-the-counter medication marketed for the relief of sinus headache is higher for smaller packages than it is for larger packages.

samusa · Accepted Answer

What differentiates or makes Sinease best buy? 1.It is Cheaper than the rest. 2. It is as effective as the best one available. D counters the argument- 1. This other drug has identical composition = so it may be as effective as Sinease for Sinus Headache 2. It not only heals Sinus Headache but also head cold ( we do not need to know what is head cold or Sinus ) 3. It is cheaper 4. So effectively, it can be used for two purposes and it still costs less. I think when we are asked to weaken an argument, we need to create a doubt not necessarily make the argument wrong. Hope the above helps!!! I donot mind Kudos!! :-D

LogicGuru1 · Answer

Of the many over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache. SinEase costs the least per dose. And SinEase is as effective per dose as the most effective of those other medications. So for relief from sinus headaches, SinEase is the best buy.
Which  WEAKENS  the argument.

PREMISE 1) Many medicines are available but Sinease is the cheapest per dose. (100mg tablet of SineEASE is cheapest than 100 mg tablet of any other medicine.)
PREMISE 2) Each Dose of SineEASE is as effective as other medicines. (Whether you take SineEASE or any other medicine, all you need is 1 tablet for relief. ) 
 CONCLUSION) SineEASE is the BEST BUY. (Since it as effective as all others medicine and cost the lowest therefore it is the best buy)
 
 As we can see EACH medicine removes sinus headache in EQUAL DOSE. 
One tablet/Capsule/drop of Brand A removes Headache. 
One tablet/Capsule/drop of Brand B removes headache. 
One tablet/Capsule/drop of Brand C removes Headache
One tablet/Capsule/drop of Brand D removes Headache
One tablet/Capsule of Sinease also removes Headache
And we can also see that SineEASE is cheapest.

NOW ITS VERY HARD TO WEAKEN THIS ARGUMENT THAT SineEASE IS THE BEST OPTION TO BUY. There are two ways that we can weaken it:- 
1) By showing that SineEASE requires many more dosages than other drugs thus its low price is compensated because patient has to buy much more SineEASE.
2) By showing that even there is one more even cheaper drug than SineEASE. 
 
   Looking at the option, we see that we cannot falsify the conclusion by using dosage as a crtiteria because there is no mention in any option that SineEASE requires many dosage. The only way to weaken it now is by showing the existence of another equally effective but more cheaper drug. OPTION D is exactly doing it. 
HENCE D is the correct answer.

A. Most of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache are equally effective per dose in providing such relief.
 WRONG:- It says all one tablet of all drug will remove headache, so based on the second premise which says SineEASE is the cheapest per capsule actually makes this option a STRENGTHENER.

B. Many of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache contain the same active ingredient as SinEase does.
 WRONG:- Says the same thing but this time in term of chemical composition of the drug rather than the dosage. This means all drug use same chemicals and among all these drugs SineEASE is the cheapest. THIS is again a STRENGTHENER.
 
C. People who suffer from frequent sinus headaches are strongly advised to consult a doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications.
 WRONG :- Good advise but totally out of scope. Just ask yourself how is this weakening that SineEASE is the best option.
 
D. An over-the-counter medication that is marketed for the relief of symptoms of head cold is identical in composition to SinEase but costs less per dose.
  CORRECT:- Well, kind of dicey because it talks about "HEAD COLD" and our argument is headache. But this is the one of the only two remaining option and this one talks about that this drug is even cheaper than SineEASE. So Keep it .. DONT DISCARD IT.
 
 E. The per dose price for any given over-the-counter medication marketed for the relief of sinus headache is higher for smaller packages than it is for larger packages.
 WRONG:- This is again irrelevant. All this tells us that all 100 mg tablet pack is relatively expensive than 200 mg tablet pack. Does not address our conclusion as to how SineEASE is the best buy
 
   SO as you can see by process of elimination there is only one contender for correct answer ---- OPTION D

ashfinder · Answer

I would go with D. Although the other medicines might be as effective, sinease is the cheapest, and therefore probably the best buy (as the argument states) - however what if there is a cheaper alternative for the same symptoms?

abrakadabra21 · Answer

Anything that says "Well, Sinease is not the best" is the deal.

A. Most of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache are equally effective per dose in providing such relief. --> 
Other Sinease 
equally effective -------------------equally effective 
mopre costly-------------------------cheap

Sinease is still best. 
B. Many of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache contain the same active ingredient as SinEase does. --> is not relavant.
D. An over-the-counter medication that is marketed for the relief of  symptoms of head cold  is identical in composition to SinEase but costs less per dose.
Head cold is not Sinease. Case closed. 
E The per dose price for any given over-the-counter medication marketed for the relief of sinus headache is higher for smaller packages than it is for larger packages. -- out of scope.

People who suffer from frequent sinus headaches are strongly advised to consult a doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications. 
This statement indirectly says ok --sinease is not the best deal. may be it is not for you. pl check out with your doctor first if it is best deal for you or not.

Why it is D? I don't understand

Harsh2111s · Answer

MentorTutoring 
If we see argument below mentioned the question.
" SineEase costs the least per dose."
Now in option D we are saying there is another medicine that costs less per dose than SinEase.
So we should not treat every information given in the argument completely true ?
Earlier I used to believe whatever information given in argument is completely true.

yashikaaggarwal · Answer

Even if you consider all the information stated in the options as true. Only D is weakening the argument stated in the passage. 
The passage depends on whether sinEase is a good medicine in all aspect or not, we know SinEase is effective as well as cheaper. The argument will only weaken if we have substitute of SinEase with same effects and less Cost. And D option is stating the presence of that medicine only.

Posted from my mobile device

Harsh2111s · Answer

I don't have any doubt related to OA.
This is my observation in this question and your post doesn't solve my query.
Thanks.

yashikaaggarwal · Answer

The Options can be true or can't be. Depending upon the CR question type. If you are trying to prove very statement true, then it will be very difficult for you to analyze answer. Its best to negate the option and see its effect onto the main statement. The answer will effect the question whether its present or not. So In my opinion every statement is true in its context, but if we are considering it effectiveness in context to passage it will create a real mess. Because there are many possible scenarios with single given statement, we have to check the best scope for the solution.

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  Harsh2111s . I can appreciate the point you are hoping to make, and you  should  take a premise in the passage to be true. At the same time, you can and should question conclusions that may be flawed, conclusions that are based on those premises. If the conclusion here is that  SineEase is the best buy  for its intended purpose, then we have to find an answer that allows us to appreciate that SineEase may not be the best buy. Now, I know you agree with the OA, so I will not justify it further, but take note of the frame of the passage here, an advertisement. Given that an ad is meant to present a biased view to promote a product, you can think of the premise as more of a claim. Someone has written an ad, presumably someone from SineEase,  claiming  that the product is just as effective as other sinus medications while at the same time costing less. We simply have to appreciate the context of the passage to qualify the premise.

I hope that helps. I was going to circle back to our dialogue from yesterday about that  boldface  question, but this new request caught my eye.

- Andrew

JDLaw · Answer

Conclusion-SineEase is the best buy.
Premise-SineEase costs the least per dose. And SineEase is as effective per dose as the most effective of those other medications

(A) Most of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache are equally effective per dose in providing such relief. this is already given in the paragraph and doesnt weaken the conclusion

(B) Many of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache contain the same active ingredient as SineEase. Out of scope, composition of differences in same is not a topic of discussion

(C) People who suffer from frequent sinus headaches are strongly advised to consult a doctor before taking any over-the-counter medication. That would mean all over the counter medicines should not be taken. Also, frequent head aches is a special situation not referenced in the argument.

(D) An over-the-counter medication that is marketed for the relief of symptoms of head cold is identical in composition to SineEase but costs less per dose. So there is an alternative that is cheaper than Sineease and does the same thing? This destroys the argument that Sineease is the best buy.

(E) The per dose price for any given over-the-counter medication marketed for the relief of sinus headache is higher for smaller packages than it is for larger packages. Argument does not differentiate between prices of small and large packs. For all we know they have considered the large pack prices for the comparison, this is out of scope.

Ans D

arya251294 · Answer

The only reason why the argument says that SineEase is the best medicine out there is because of its efficacy and price.

Option D tells us that this medicine for head cold is identical in composition to SineEase (which means that this medicine for head cold will be equally effective in treating sinus headaches) and that it costs even lesser. Therefore we have weakened the original conclusion (Conclusion -  SineEase is the best buy ).

Kratosgmat · Answer

As per D, An over-the-counter medication that is marketed for the relief of symptoms of head cold is identical in composition to SineEase but costs less per dose.

the medication mentioned in option D is cheaper, identical to Sine Ease. Hence it makes sense to say that it will have the same effects as SineEase and also costs less per dose and therefore is the best buy.

PS : Hence it makes sense to say that it will have the same effects as SineEase (however we are making a slight assumption that factors say, shape of the medicine will not affect the effectiveness of the medication, but reasonable assumptions are OK on the GMAT)

Raman109 · Answer

Understanding the argument 
SienEase is the best buy BECAUSE 
1. As effective as the most effective
2. And Costs less per dose

One way to weaken is if there is another medication that is equally effective but costs less. That is what option D does.

Option elimination -

(A) Most of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache are equally effective per dose in providing such relief. Another weakener could have been if the SineEase required more doses. But this argument rules out that option by saying they are equally effective per dose. So at best, it's a strengthener.

(B) Many of the over-the-counter medications marketed for the relief of sinus headache contain the same active ingredient as SineEase. - If they contain the same active ingredient and SineEase is the cheapest. It strengthens the conclusion.

(C) People who suffer from frequent sinus headaches are strongly advised to consult a doctor before taking any over-the-counter medication. - out of scope.

(D) An over-the-counter medication that is marketed for the relief of symptoms of head cold is identical in composition to SineEase but costs less per dose. - per our pre-thinking.

(E) The per dose price for any given over-the-counter medication marketed for the relief of sinus headache is higher for smaller packages than it is for larger packages. - out of scope.

ashutosh_73 · Answer

GMATNinja   KarishmaB   AjiteshArun 
I can't see why (D) can be the answer.
Here is my understanding:

Of the many medications marketed for sinus headache, SineEase costs the least per dose.
SineEase is as effective per dose as the most effective of those other medications.

HENCE:  For relief from sinus headaches , SineEase is the best buy.

Conclusion doesn't say, in general that SineEase is the best buy. It is narrowing the ''best buy'' in a specific subset.

(D) says: some ''XYZ'' medicine for cancer, which uses the same ingredients as SineEase cost less than ''SineEase''

(D) doesn't address the conclusion at all! Please help here..

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi ashutosh_73,

Here's the argument:
 1.  SE is  .
 2.  SE costs the least per dose of the medications  .
 3.  SE is as effective per dose as the most effective medication  .
 4.  Therefore SE is the best buy for  .

Notice how the support is about products "marketed for" {X}, but the conclusion is about the actual condition {X}.

According to option D, there's something else that's "identical in composition to" SE but "costs less per dose". It doesn't matter that this something else is marketed for {Y}. If it is identical in composition to SE, it is quite likely to be just as effective as SE for the condition {X}. And since it costs less, by the logic of the argument, it'll be a better buy than SE.

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