A Survey on the Awareness of a Sleep-Medication Formulary in Community Health Care and its Influence on Prescribing Behavior

Background Despite the increasing emphasis on safe prescribing, the impact of local formularies on physician behavior remains underexplored in community healthcare settings. To promote safer pharmacological practices, our institution implemented a sleep-medication formulary in January 2022, which was disseminated to local medical institutions in early 2023. This study assessed physicians’ awareness of the formulary and its influence on prescribing behavior in community healthcare settings. Methods A questionnaire survey was distributed via a regional medical-cooperation newsletter and responses were received from 84 physicians. Results Of the 84 physicians, 18% were aware of the formulary. Physicians in the awareness group were more likely to prescribe the recommended medications, particularly orexin receptor antagonists, and reported significantly less difficulty in initiating hypnotic therapy. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between formulary awareness and reduced difficulty in prescribing a suitable hypnotic (odds ratio: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.073–0.78). Conclusions Local formularies may serve as valuable tools in clinical decision-making and promote safer and more consistent prescribing practices. Strategies such as physician education and the development of patient-friendly information materials are warranted to support broader implementation. Trail registration: Not applicable