A Fundamental Principle of Pharmacology is that all Drugs GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

A fundamental principle of pharmacology is that all drugs have multiple actions. Actions that are desirable in the treatment of disease are considered therapeutic, while those that are undesirable or pose risks to the patient are called “effects.” Adverse drug effects range from the trivial, e.g., nausea or dry mouth, to the serious, e.g., massive gastrointestinal bleeding or thromboembolism; and some drugs can be lethal. Therefore, an effective system for the detection of adverse drug effects is an important component of the health care system of any advanced nation. Much of the research conducted on new drugs aims at identifying the conditions of use that maximize beneficial effects and minimize the risk of adverse effects. The intent of drug labeling is to reflect this body of knowledge accurately so that physicians can properly prescribe the drug; or, if it is to be sold without prescription, so that consumers can properly use the drug.

The current system of drug investigation in the United States has proved very useful and accurate in identifying the common side effects associated with new prescription drugs. By the time a new drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, its side effects are usually well described in the package insert for physicians. The investigational process, however, cannot be counted on to detect all adverse effects because of the relatively small number of patients involved in premarketing studies and the relatively short duration of the studies. Animal toxicology studies are, of course, done prior to marketing in an attempt to identify any potential for toxicity, but negative results do not guarantee the safety of a drug in humans, as evidenced by such well known examples as the birth deformities due to thalidomide.

This recognition prompted the establishment in many countries of programs to which physicians report adverse drug effects. The United States and other countries also send reports to an international program operated by the World Health Organization. These programs, however, are voluntary reporting programs and are intended to serve a limited goal: alerting a government or private agency to adverse drug effects detected by physicians in the course of practice. Other approaches must be used to confirm suspected drug reactions and to estimate incidence rates. These other approaches include conducting retrospective control studies; for example, the studies associating endometrial cancer with estrogen use, and systematic monitoring of hospitalized patients to determine the incidence of acute common side effects, as typified by the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program.

Thus, the overall drug surveillance system of the United States is composed of a set of information bases, special studies, and monitoring programs, each contributing in its own way to our knowledge about marketed drugs. The system is decentralized among a number of governmental units and is not administered as a coordinated function. Still, it would be inappropriate at this time to attempt to unite all of the disparate elements into a comprehensive surveillance program. Instead, the challenge is to improve each segment of the system and to take advantage of new computer strategies to improve coordination and communication.

“A fundamental principle of pharmacology is that all drugs have multiple actions.”- is a section for the GMAT that addresses reading comprehension. Candidates must have a high level of English GMAT reading comprehension.
There are 6 questions and answers on this GMAT Reading Comprehension section. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions test a candidate's comprehension, analysis, and application of information skills. Candidates can use them to recognize and break down the sources of your current errors and try to continually address those issues. Above all, the most important strategy for approaching the passages is to always read with the main idea in mind. With the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions, candidates may actively prepare.

Solution and Explanation

1. The author is primarily concerned with discussing

(A) methods for testing the effects of new drugs on humans
(B) the importance of having accurate information about the effects of drugs
(C) procedures for determining the long-term effects of new drugs
(D) attempts to curb the abuse of prescription drugs
(E) the difference between the therapeutic and nontherapeutic actions of drugs

2. The author implies that a drug with adverse side effects

(A) will not be approved for use by consumers without a doctor’s prescription
(B) must wait for approval until lengthy studies prove the effects are not permanent
(C) should be used only if its therapeutic value outweighs its adverse effects
(D) should be withdrawn from the marketplace pending a government investigation
(E) could be used in foreign countries even though it is not approved for use in the United States

3. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

(A) Drugs with serious side effects are never approved for distribution.
(B) A centralized drug oversight function would improve public health.
(C) Most physicians are not aware that prescription drugs have side effects.
(D) Some rare adverse drug effects are not discovered during the limited testing.
(E) Consumers are seldom unable to understand directions for proper use of a drug.

4. The author introduces the example of thalidomide to show that some

(A) drugs do not have the same actions in humans that they do in animals
(B) drug testing procedures are ignored by careless laboratory workers
(C) drugs have no therapeutic value for humans
(D) drugs have adverse side effects as well as beneficial actions
(E) drugs are prescribed by physicians who have not read the manufacturer’s recommendations

5. The author of the passage regards current drug investigation procedures as

(A) important but generally ineffectual
(B) lackadaisical and generally in need of improvement
(C) necessary and generally effective
(D) comprehensive but generally unnecessary
(E) superfluous but generally harmless

6. The author is most probably leading up to a discussion of some suggestions about how to

(A) centralize authority for drug surveillance in the United States
(B) centralize authority for drug surveillance among international agencies
(C) coordinate better the sharing of information among the drug surveillance agencies
(D) eliminate the availability and sale of certain drugs now on the market
(E) improve drug testing procedures to detect dangerous effects before drugs are approved

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