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Exploring the ready knowledge of drug prescribing among junior doctors in Libya

Background: Essential drug knowledge is a ready knowledge of frequently prescribed drugs acquired by the clinician for the rational prescription. The present study was undertaken with the aims of assessing the knowledge of Libyan junior doctors about commonly prescribed drugs that necessary for rational prescribing and to determine the level of their ready knowledge. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 162 junior doctors employed at primary health centers in the city of Tripoli, Libya, and were requested to answer questions about rational prescribing of three commonly prescribed drugs (bisoprolol, pseudoephedrine, and co-amoxiclav). All items were categorized into six sets of core knowledge: drug class, indications, method of administration, contraindication, interaction, and adverse effects. The knowledge level to which junior doctors answer these statements was examined with a face-to-face assessment. Results: A number of 19 statements per drug were considered to be ready knowledge important for rational prescribing. Overall, knowledge about “drug class” (74.5%) and “Methods of administration (86.4%)” comprise most of the essential ready knowledge. Items concerning “interactions” (23.8%) and “contra-indication” (36.1%) were little acknowledged. Conclusion: Junior doctors' ready knowledge, in our population sample, seems to be insufficient to good prescribing. Our findings could be used in measuring the prescribing skills of future junior doctors in Libya.