It is illegal to advertise prescription medications in

Question

It is illegal to advertise prescription medications in Hedland except in professional medical journals or by mail directly to physicians. A proposed law would allow general advertising of prescription medications. Opponents object that, in general, laypersons lack the specialized knowledge to evaluate such advertisements and might ask their physicians for inappropriate medications. But since physicians have the final say as to whether to prescribe a medication for a patient, the objection provides no grounds for concern. 
 
19.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the argument? 
 
A. Whether nonprescription medications can interact with and block the action of any prescription medications that could be advertised to the general public 
B. Whether most prescription medication advertisements directed at the general public would be advertisements for recently developed medications newly available by prescription 
C. Whether prescription medication advertisements directed at the general public would appear on television and radio as well as in print 
D. Whether physicians are more likely to pay attention to advertising directed to the general public than to advertising directed to physicians 
E. Whether physicians are likely to succumb to pressure from patients to prescribe inappropriate medications

gmatmba · Answer

E seems to be the logical choice

biggamejames · Answer

Yup. E.

jaynayak · Answer

Will go with E.

The argument is the the objection to the law is uncalled for as the physician will be the sole deciding factor.
But if the patient can coerce a physician to prescribe a drug that is advertised . the argument is weakened.

Professor · Answer

go with E as well.

u2lover · Answer

A.  Whether nonprescription medications  not reading any further... don't care about nonprescription drugs at all
B.  advertisements for recently developed medications newly available by prescription  recent or not is not an issue at stake, so out
C. don't care where they appear... that isn't the issue 
D. doesn't make any difference what they pay attention to...
E. advertisement does provide the grounds for concern if pressuring the doctors causes them to prescribe wrong drugs.

goforisb · Answer

E for me too

haas_mba07 · Answer

Answer: D (partly coz. E seems too obvious?? whatever that means)

I went with D on this... 

D. Whether physicians are more likely to pay attention to advertising directed to the general public than to advertising directed to physicians

It would seem likely that if the physicians paid attentions to the advertisements for the general public more than the ones directed toward them, they will likely be influenced by the ads to prescribe the medications that the patients ask for by not following the technical aspects of the ad specially made for them.

gmatmba · Answer

That makes perfect sense haas_mba07 In E, I dont know of any doctor who would succumb to pressure to give BAD (inappropriate) MEDICINE (except of course Bon Jovi)

I obviously went the easy way and picked E

Lets wait for the OA

u2lover · Answer

interesting, but remember what rhyme and many others said? if the anwswer in CR is too obvious, then it is likely to be correct!

I am still going with E, but

This could be true, but you need to infer that they indeed will pay more attention to the new ads (will they?), however, the current situation is unchanged and the fact that they still receive the info about new drugs directly remains the same...

hope this helps and we will wait for OA

haas_mba07 · Answer

I was just thinking about this Question and if this question appeared on the GMAT early in the test would I pick E? Or if it shows up at the near end then should it be D? 

I know that answering based on the position of the question sounds crazy, but its just a thought.

As both you and gmatmba said, lets wait for the OA.

laxieqv · Answer

OA is E

This one is a retired GMAT question.

haas_mba07 · Answer

Thanks laxieqv... :-)

It just goes to show .. go with the gut instinct and pick the answer that you feel correct.

foolz_rulz · Answer

My choice is E 

increased ads leads to greater pressure by patients 
if docs succumb to pressure , not very pleasant

foolz_rulz · Answer

read all the responses after posting my reply i am impressed by hass

... i cud not have thought of such a response too much lateral thinking usually is an overkill I get carried with my train of thought too a few times

It is illegal to advertise prescription medications in

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