Assume that you work for the Food and Drug Administration. A pharmaceutical company has applied for approval to market a new arthritis medication. The research involved a test group that was given the medication and another test group that was given a placebo.

Respond to the following:

• Describe some ways in which the test groups might not be representative of the population of people with arthritis.

• If the company itself paid for or conducted its own research, would you have any concerns? Why or why not?

• If the study was not conducted as a blind or a double-blind test would you have any concerns? Why or why not?