Chang says that if a patient has to visit several departments, there can sometimes be duplication of prescriptions, or even prescribing of drugs that will, taken together, have severe side effects. If each patient has a "pharmaceutical record" to carry around, doctors in different departments can take into account what other doctors have decided, and make the necessary adjustments.
張苙雲表示，現在各大醫院對於藥袋的標示已有很大的進步，但是一位病人如果要看好幾科，各科開的藥有時會重複，甚至藥和藥之間可能會產生副作用，如果有「藥歷」讓病人帶著走，各科醫師開藥時才能夠互相參照調整。