I can tell you from experience, not only couldn't my mother name the drugs she was taking, she was not taking them as prescribed. I investigated this when her behavior first started to change and show signs of dementia. Why is this important? Is my belief that if my mother had been taking her hypertension drugs as prescribed she would be much healthier today and the onset and development of her Alzheimer's might have been delayed.

I am always amazed at the number of people I know, who not only do not know what drugs they are taking and why they are taking them, but also do not seem to care enough to ask their doctors about them. So often, a friend will tell me he or she went to the doctor for such and such symptom(s) and that the Dr. gave them a prescription. When I ask what the diagnosis is and the name of medication prescribed I get a response such as, "Oh, I don't know. I didn't even ask. Who cares what it is as long as it works?"

Why are we are patients, so willing to remain ignorant of our own health matters? What in hell could be more important to us personally?