Clinical Practice Guideline

Diabetes

Oral Pharmacologic Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

(Endorsed, December 2016)

The updated guideline, Oral Pharmacologic Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, was developed by the American College of Physicians and was endorsed by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Key Recommendations

Metformin should be prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes when pharmacologic therapy is needed to improve glycemic control.

A sulfonylurea, thiazolidinedione, SGLT-2 inhibitor, or DPP-4 inhibitor should be considered when a second oral medication is added to improve glycemic control. Selection of a second agent should be based on a discussion of benefits, adverse effects, and costs.

See full recommendation for further details.

More About Practice Guidelines

These recommendations are provided only as assistance for physicians making clinical decisions regarding the care of their patients. As such, they cannot substitute for the individual judgment brought to each clinical situation by the patient's family physician. As with all clinical reference resources, they reflect the best understanding of the science of medicine at the time of publication, but they should be used with the clear understanding that continued research may result in new knowledge and recommendations. These recommendations are only one element in the complex process of improving the health of America. To be effective, the recommendations must be implemented.