Couple patients who come to a fertility clinic generally get ...

Question

Couple patients who come to a fertility clinic generally get a prescription for clomiphene, a fertility drug, each time they take a pregnancy test that shows up negative. However, females who test less than 12 days from the date of conception have generally not built up enough hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in their bodies, a sign of pregnancy, to be detected reliably. Many first time patients are impatient and make their decisions to get another costly prescription after negative results from a pregnancy test less than 8 days after conception.

Which of the following, if performed by the fertility clinic, could logically be expected to resolve the potentially costly problem of first time patients paying for an unnecessary second prescription of clomiphene?

(A) Releasing a general announcement that females less than 12 days from conception cannot be effectively tested for pregnancy
(B) Requiring all females less than 12 days from conception to have a doctor’s prescription before taking a pregnancy test
(C) Researching possible ways to test females less than 8 days from conception for pregnancy
(D) Ensuring that couples do not make their purchase decision before 12 days has passed since conception
(E) Stopping all females who have been taking fertility drugs for more than 12 months and having them learn more about another pregnancy option called in vitro fertilization (IVF)

KarishmaB · Accepted Answer

Responding to a pm:

Couple patients get a prescription for clomiphene when they see a negative pregnancy test.
However, less than 12 days from the date of conception the test is not reliable.
Many patients are impatient and buy costly prescription after seeing negative results less than 8 days after conception.

How to resolve the problem?

(A) Releasing a general announcement that females less than 12 days from conception cannot be effectively tested for pregnancy
Too general. Release a general announcement where? how? Will the couples get to read it? What will they make of it? This doesn't seem to be an effective solution. Also, since couples are impatient, they may ignore a general announcement.

(B) Requiring all females less than 12 days from conception to have a doctor’s prescription before taking a pregnancy test
Not correct. It is the couple's choice. They can take the test everyday if they wish to. In some cases, the positive result may appear within 3-4 days. You cannot deny testing. You are trying to avoid early  purchase  of expensive treatment. Besides, a doctor's prescription does not imply that the test result will be reliable.

(C) Researching possible ways to test females less than 8 days from conception for pregnancy
Out of scope. Not a logical solution for a clinic.

(D) Ensuring that couples do not make their purchase decision before 12 days has passed since conception
Yes, this the clinic can do. They can ensure that the couple wait at least 12 days before deciding to retake the treatment. After 12 days if the result is still negative, the retake makes sense since the test becomes reliable at that time.

(E) Stopping all females who have been taking fertility drugs for more than 12 months and having them learn more about another pregnancy option called in vitro fertilization (IVF)
Out of scope.

Answer (D)

shreyagmat · Answer

Hi I answered with A. could we have an OA for this please

hsbinfy · Answer

was stuck between A and B.
 IMO B.

if the hcg can be detected easily, the doc prescription would work and easily be done for fertility test.

Waiting eagerly for the OA.

-h

Paris75 · Answer

For me it is D for the following reasons:

(A) Releasing a general announcement that females less than 12 days from conception cannot be effectively tested for pregnancy -  Wrong - A general annoucement could have no effect 
(B) Requiring all females less than 12 days from conception to have a doctor’s prescription before taking a pregnancy test -  Wrong - It is already the case 
(C) Researching possible ways to test females less than 8 days from conception for pregnancy -  Wrong - Researches could lead to an increase in cost not decrease 
(D) Ensuring that couples do not make their purchase decision before 12 days has passed since conception -  Right - If all woman do a test after 12 days than no need for a costly second test aferwards 
(E) Stopping all females who have been taking fertility drugs for more than 12 months and having them learn more about another pregnancy option called in vitro fertilization (IVF) -  Wrong - Out of context

hih

dream21 · Answer

IMO B
A doctor’s prescription before taking a pregnancy test, would ensure that if it is apt to take the pregnancy test.
And hence will eliminate unnecessary second prescription of clomiphene.

mbajunoon · Answer

I will go with B. Other options can be easily eliminated so we are left with only two options A and B. Releasing a general announcement won't help and mandating doctor's prescription will slow down the hurry females show so only B looks a possible solution.

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itzmyzone911 · Answer

IMHO OA:D

Everything other than D is plain wrong!

Pl give OA...I shall give my explanation

AutoBot · Answer

Sorry guys.. I don't know the OA. I got the question in gmatpill free mock test. I answered as A ,which was wrong.

Now ,I think the correct answer should be D because in this case clinic is ensuring that couple does not make the purchase. While option A only talks about releasing a general announcement.

Also, found an OG question exactly on the similar lines... Check Q:29 under Critical Reasoning Section in OG book.
Question goes like : The tulu, a popular ornamental plant, doesn't reproduce naturally...

Now I know how these test prep companies prepare their questions :D

rvgmat12 · Answer

IMO the answer must be D.

(A) Releasing a general announcement that females less than 12 days from conception cannot be effectively tested for pregnancy - just an announcement may not work
(B) Requiring all females less than 12 days from conception to have a doctor’s prescription before taking a pregnancy test - not relevant
(C) Researching possible ways to test females less than 8 days from conception for pregnancy - not very effective
(D) Ensuring that couples do not make their purchase decision before 12 days has passed since conception - correct
(E) Stopping all females who have been taking fertility drugs for more than 12 months and having them learn more about another pregnancy option called in vitro fertilization (IVF) - out of scope

kpsanelo · Answer

I think after intital examine ... try drugs on intial treatments,.

Deep32470 · Answer

Couple patients who come to a fertility clinic generally get a prescription for clomiphene, a fertility drug, each time they take a pregnancy test that shows up negative. However, females who test less than 12 days from the date of conception have generally not built up enough hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in their bodies, a sign of pregnancy, to be detected reliably. Many first time patients are impatient and make their decisions to get another costly prescription after negative results from a pregnancy test less than 8 days after conception.

Which of the following, if performed by the fertility clinic, could logically be expected to resolve the potentially costly problem of first time patients paying for an unnecessary second prescription of clomiphene?

(A) Releasing a general announcement that females less than 12 days from conception cannot be effectively tested for pregnancy
(B) Requiring all females less than 12 days from conception to have a doctor’s prescription before taking a pregnancy test
(C) Researching possible ways to test females less than 8 days from conception for pregnancy
(D) Ensuring that couples do not make their purchase decision before 12 days has passed since conception
(E) Stopping all females who have been taking fertility drugs for more than 12 months and having them learn more about another pregnancy option called in vitro fertilization (IVF)

It was a good question however i marked it wrong. The only options left with me to choose from were A & E however i think both will be good options but A is slightly demanding. There may be some patients who after knowing that tests cannot be trusted unless conception is atleast 12 days, but with E clearly assures the patients that the only favourable results can be expected after 12 days of conception. Hence i think E is the best option

Couple patients who come to a fertility clinic generally get ...

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Couple patients who come to a fertility clinic generally get ...

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