Abstract: ObjectiveTo examine the mtoive and hehavior in prescibing essential drugs among community doctors and to provide scientific basis for the improvement of national essential drugs system.MethodsThirty-six community health service institutions in Weifang,Ji'nan,and Liaocheng city were randomly selected and 154 community doctors were surveyed with a questionnaire.ResultsThere were 89.66% of doctors reproting their disposition to prescribe essential drugs and 15 doctors reported the neutral attitude toward essential drugs.Among the doctors 117(90.00%)thought that low price was the reason to choose essential drugs and 86.00% of the doctors considered the higher proportion of reimbursement when prescribing essential durgs.Better curative effect,low side effect,request of the patient,and demand of the supervisor were other motives for the doctors to prescribe esential drugs.ConclusionLow price and higher proportion of reimbursement are the major motives for community doctors to prescibe the essential drugs.