Survey on Kampo formulas frequently prescribed by physicians belonging to the Japan Society for Oriental Medicine

Aim We conducted a web‐based survey of physician members of the Japan Society for Oriental Medicine (JSOM) to investigate trends in Kampo formulas prescribed by Kampo specialists. Methods JSOM physician members were surveyed using Microsoft Forms from December 1, 2022 to January 27, 2023. Respondents subjectively ranked their top five Kampo formulas, commenting on each formula. Results There were 475 respondents, representing 6.4% of all JSOM members. The respondents had similar sex and age distributions and affiliation regions to all JSOM members. The most common Western medicine specialty of the respondents was internal medicine (13.3%), followed by obstetrics and gynecology (12.2%) and gastroenterology (6.9%). In total, 284 (59.8%) respondents were licensed as board‐certified physicians of the JSOM and 107 (22.5%) had more than 30 years of experience in prescribing Kampo formulas. The Kampo formulas were prescribed as extracts by 360 (75.8%) respondents, whereas only 115 (24.2%) prescribed decoctions. The most frequently used Kampo formula was goreisan, followed by hochuekkito, keishibukuryogan, kamishoyosan, and hachimijiogan. Several commonly used Kampo formulas supported by scientific evidence, including daikenchuto, goshajinkigan, and bofutsushosan, were ranked low in our survey. In addition, differences among respondents in sex, age distribution, affiliated regions, Western medicine specialties, and proficiency in Kampo medicine influenced the trends in frequently prescribed Kampo formulas. Conclusion Our study identified the most frequently prescribed Kampo formulas among physician members of the JSOM. They selected Kampo formulas with diverse pharmacological properties to treat imbalances in qi, blood, and fluids. Kampo decoctions were rarely used, even by specialists.