Question

Over the years, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA) has worked very hard to avoid making type II errors. A type II error occurs when the FDA approves a drug that is not both safe and effective. Despite the agency's efforts, however, bad drugs do on occasion get through to the public. For example, Omniflox, an antibiotic, had to be recalled less than six months after its approval due to reports of severe adverse reactions, which included a number of deaths. Similarly, Fenoterol, an inhaled drug intended to relieve asthma attacks, was found to increase the risk of death rather than decrease it [17]. Is there any way for the FDA to completely eliminate the occurrence of type II errors? Explain.

Answer 1

1. FDA can eliminate type II error by trial and error for a particular drugs.

2. Type II errors can be reduced by increasing the percentage defect rate in the alternative hypothesis.

3. the level of significance of 99% should be used.

Explanation:

a type II error occurs when ‘a hypothesis has been accepted when it should have been rejected’.

FDA can eliminate type II error by applying the following options:

Tests of hypotheses and rules of decisions should be designed to minimized the errors of decision. This is achieved largely by trial and error for a particular set of circumstances.

1. FDA can eliminate type II error by trial and error for a particular drugs.

2. Type II errors can be reduced by increasing the percentage defect rate in the alternative hypothesis.

If a higher percentage defect rate is given in the alternative hypothesis, the type II errors are reduced very effectively

3. if the level of significance is 0.01 or less, i.e. the confidence level is 99% or more, the results are considered to be highly significant, i.e. the

results are considered likely to be correct.