A pharmacy is closed between 12:00 and 12:45 each weekday for a lunch

Question

A pharmacy is closed between 12:00 and 12:45 each weekday for a lunch break. A decision has been made to change the break time to 12:30 to 1:15 in the belief that this will increase productivity, as measured by the number of prescriptions that are filled daily.

Which of the following, if true, provides the best reason for this belief?

(A) The pharmacy’s employees say that they prefer the later break time.
(B) Most of the pharmacy’s customers work or live within a 10-minute drive of the pharmacy.
(C) Many of the pharmacy’s customers would prefer to get their prescriptions filled while they are on their lunch break or on weekends.
(D) A greater number of customers seeking prescriptions on weekdays are able to come to the pharmacy between 12 and 12:30 than between 12:45 and 1:15
(E) The pharmacy is within a supermarket that is least busy between 12:45 and 1:45 each weekday.

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Question 24: Pharmacy Hours

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acegmat20 · Answer

A: talks about the workers opinions -- Unrelated
B shows no connection with the number of prescriptions filled during that time -- Unrelated
C we do not know when the break time of customer is -- Incorrect
D no. of customers are higher between 12-12:30 hence increases productivity - Correct
E unrelated to the no of customers the pharmacy gets -- Incorrect

daniformic · Answer

(A) The pharmacy’s employees say that they prefer the later break time. -> Out of scope
(B) Most of the pharmacy’s customers work or live within a 10-minute drive of the pharmacy. -> Out of scope
(C) Many of the pharmacy’s customers would prefer to get their prescriptions filled while they are on their lunch break or on weekends. -> would prefer...it is not enough
(D) A greater number of customers seeking prescriptions on weekdays are able to come to the pharmacy between 12 and 12:30 than between 12:45 and 1:15 -> Correct! A greater number of customers between 12 and 12:30 than between 12:45 and 1:15 = Increased productivity ->  Correct 
(E) The pharmacy is within a supermarket that is least busy between 12:45 and 1:45 each weekday. -> we know nothing about the n. of customers

chillbrorelax · Answer

Well this is a plan question. The goal is to increase the productivity - the number of prescriptions that are filled daily. The method is to shift the break timings. Our task is to find a supporting evidence to reassure that through this method, the goal will be achieved. This basically means to connect the new timings of work with the increase in number of prescriptions filled. Let's look at the options.

A - Not relevant. Employee preference does not proves that the goal will be achieved.
B - This only informs us that employees will take almost 10 minutes to commute. Perhaps, this means that employees will not report any difficulty in commuting after the plan is implemented. But still it does not discuss the plan in the question.
C - Many customers would want to visit pharmacy during the old lunch break timings of the pharmacy. But we do not know whether the lunch break of pharmacy and customers coincide with each other.
D - This informs us that many customers who were not served during the previous lunch breaks can now be served with the new timings for the break in place. Of course, this supports the plan.
E - This informs us that during the new lunch break timings, not many customers will visit the pharmacy as the market is least busy. Alright, the plan does not creates any problems. But this information does not explains why the plan will help us reach the goal. Option D was better than this.

Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

TarPhi · Answer

(A) The pharmacy’s employees say that they prefer the later break time. - IRRELEVANT
(B) Most of the pharmacy’s customers work or live within a 10-minute drive of the pharmacy. - IRRELEVANT
(C) Many of the pharmacy’s customers would prefer to get their prescriptions filled while they are on their lunch break or on weekends. - CLOSE 2nd. WOULD'VE BEEN A STREGTHENER IF THE CUSTOMER'S BREAK TIME WAS MENTIONED + DO WE REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR PREFERENCE.
(D) A greater number of customers seeking prescriptions on weekdays are able to come to the pharmacy between 12 and 12:30 than between 12:45 and 1:15 - BINGOOOO
(E) The pharmacy is within a supermarket that is least busy between 12:45 and 1:45 each weekday. - IRRELEVANT

D it is.

Please Kudos

EMPOWERgmatVerbal · Answer

Official Explanation:

A pharmacy is closed between 12:00 and 12:45 each weekday for a lunch break. A decision has been made to change the break time to 12:30 to 1:15 in the belief that this will increase productivity, as measured by the number of prescriptions that are filled daily. 
 
 Which of the following, if true, provides the best reason for this belief? 
 
 (A) The pharmacy’s employees say that they prefer the later break time. 
 (B) Most of the pharmacy’s customers work or live within a 10-minute drive of the pharmacy. 
 (C) Many of the pharmacy’s customers would prefer to get their prescriptions filled while they are on their lunch break or on weekends. 
 (D) A greater number of customers seeking prescriptions on weekdays are able to come to the pharmacy between 12 and 12:30 than between 12:45 and 1:15 
 (E) The pharmacy is within a supermarket that is least busy between 12:45 and 1:45 each weekday.

Question Type:   Strengthen
  Boil It Down:   A pharmacy is changing when they close for a lunch break 30 minutes later to increase the number of prescriptions filled each day.
  Goal:    Find the option that best supports the idea that moving the lunch break will increase productivity.

Analysis:  
This question asks you to strengthen the belief that the later break time will result in greater productivity.
 
 Conclusion:  The later break time will lead to more prescriptions being filled each daily.
 
 Premise:  The break time, when the store is closed, will change from 12 to 12:45 to 12:30 to 1:15.
 
More customers will be served if more are able to come to the pharmacy during the new “open” hours. If, as choice D states, more can come from 12 to 12:30 (when the pharmacy used to be closed but is now open) than from 12:45 to 1:15 (when the pharmacy used to be open but is now closed) then productivity is likely to increase.
 
(A) The pharmacy’s employees say that they prefer the later break time.
 The preference of the employees does not matter unless this can be connected to productivity. You are “not allowed” to connect the dots with assumptions such as “Well, if the employees prefer the later break time, they’ll work better, and therefore fill more prescriptions.

(B) Most of the pharmacy’s customers work or live within a 10-minute drive of the pharmacy.
 This does not lead to a strengthening of the conclusion. It is out of the scope of the argument.

(C) Many of the pharmacy’s customers would prefer to get their prescriptions filled while they are on their lunch break or on weekends.
 This would only strengthen (or perhaps weaken) the conclusion if we knew when their breaks were. We have no way of knowing this, so the point is irrelevant.

(D) A greater number of customers seeking prescriptions on weekdays are able to come to the pharmacy between 12 and 12:30 than between 12:45 and 1:15
 This is the correct choice. Since the goal is to fill more prescriptions, then it makes sense to stay open during the time people can come.

(E) The pharmacy is within a supermarket that is least busy between 12:45 and 1:45 each weekday.
 This does not provide us enough information about the customers specific to the pharmacy. One can’t bring in assumptions about people going to the pharmacy at the same time they go to the supermarket.

Don’t study for the GMAT. Train for it.

EMPOWERgmatVerbal · Answer

Great explanation chillbrorelax ! Kudos to you for such a thorough breakdown of how you answered this question!

VerbalBot · Answer

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A pharmacy is closed between 12:00 and 12:45 each weekday for a lunch

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A pharmacy is closed between 12:00 and 12:45 each weekday for a lunch

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