Generic drugs contain exactly the

Answer choices

1. A

   Unrelated to Goal: cost of ingredients21% picked this

   The ingredients used in the manufacture of brand-name drugs cost no more than the ingredients used to

   This has nothing to do with the efficacy of generic vs. brand name, because it's only talking about cost.

   21%
2. B

   Correct67% picked this

   Generic drugs are no more likely than brand­-name drugs to suffer from

   Why this is right

   If we negated this, it would be an objection: generic drugs are more likely to suffer from defects in composition. This is getting at whether generic drugs combine these identical active ingredients successfully using the same type of recipe. Baking a successful cake is more than just having the right ingredients. You have to combine them in the right way to get an effective cake. Similarly, which chemistry, you might need to combine the active ingredients in the right way to create the desired chemical reaction. If generic drugs were worse at doing so, it could decrease their efficacy relative to that of brand name drugs. By ruling out that objection and equalizing generic drugs and brand-name drugs on this relevant level, this is strengthening the argument.

   Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   67%
3. C

   Unrelated to Goal: availability5% picked this

   Generic drugs are just as likely as brand-name drugs to be readily

   This has nothing to do with the efficacy of generic vs. brand name, because it's only talking about how available they each are.

   5%
4. D

   Unrelated to Goal5% picked this

   The higher costs of brand-name drugs underwrite drug companies' heavy investment

   Unrelated to Goal: reason for higher cost This has nothing to do with the efficacy of generic vs. brand name, because it's only talking about the backstory of why brand-name drugs cost more (and the reason why -- investment in research -- doesn't have a direct connection to efficacy). If anything, we might take this answer and think, "If the brand-name drugs are spending more money on research, they might end up with better efficacy", which would weaken.

   5%
5. E

   No Impact2% picked this

   Because of advertising, doctors frequently prescribe brand-name drugs by their brand name, rather than by

   The first few words here, "because of advertising", inform us that what doctors are doing here has nothing to do with efficacy, just with name familiarity.

   2%