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Diabetes drugsDiabetes drugs
Browse our health professional information, resources and educational activities on diabetes drugs.
QUM rationale
Type 2 diabetes is a major public health problem. Quality use of medicines in type 2 diabetes includes early and ongoing lifestyle modifications and skilled health professionals play a pivotal role in assisting patients with behavioural modifications.
Appropriate use of oral antidiabetic drugs involves ensuring metformin use in most patients with type 2 diabetes, and proactive addition of other drugs to achieve optimal blood glucose control. A sulfonylurea is often a useful addition to metformin therapy. Thiazolidinediones have a place in therapy, but newly emergent adverse effects warrant extra care in their use.
Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease and judicious management may involve insulin use earlier rather than later in the disease. To achieve this, patients require good information on the role of insulin and health professionals require skills to initiate insulin.
Key messages from 2008 therapeutic program
- Early and continuing lifestyle interventions decrease disease progression.
- Initiate insulin early by adding night-time basal insulin to oral antidiabetic agents.
- Ensure metformin is part of ongoing therapy and use of thiazolidinediones does not delay the progression to insulin.
- Review use of thiazolidinediones in heart failure and ischaemic heart disease.
| Title | Description | Content type | Date* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitagliptin, vildagliptin and saxagliptin — dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (‘gliptins’) for add-on therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus | Information on gliptins (sitagliptin, vildagliptin and saxagliptin) as add-on therapy with metformin or sulfonylurea for improved glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Review | 2011-07-01 00:00:00 |
| Rosiglitazone (Avandia) and rosiglitazone with metformin (Avandamet) for type 2 diabetes mellitus | Information about use of Rosiglitazone (Avandia) and rosiglitazone with metformin (Avandamet) for type 2 diabetes mellitus | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Review | 2008-12-01 00:00:00 |
| Cardiovascular risk calculators | Tools to help health professionals assess a patient’s cardiovascular risk and treatment benefit. | Tool - Health Professional | 2009-03-12 00:00:00 |
| Prescribing for up to 12 months allowed for some medicines for some people with chronic conditions | Prescribing for up to 12 months allowed for some medicines for some people with chronic conditions | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2008-12-01 00:00:00 |
| Sitagliptin with metformin (Janumet) fixed-dose combination tablets PBS listed for type 2 diabetes mellitus | Sitagliptin with metformin tablets (Janumet) have been PBS listed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The listing is restricted to people who have inadequate glycaemic control despite metformin, and cannot take metformin with a sulfonylurea, and for those who are already stabilised on metformin and sitagliptin. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2009-08-01 00:00:00 |
| Postmarketing reports of acute pancreatitis with sitagliptin products (Janumet, Januvia) | Cases of acute pancreatitis have been reported with sitagliptin and sitagliptin with metformin. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2010-04-01 00:00:00 |
| Rosiglitazone (Avandia) and rosiglitazone with metformin (Avandamet): streamlined authority removed | Due to continuing safety concerns, rosiglitazone can no longer be prescribed under a streamlined authority. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2011-07-01 00:00:00 |
| Rosiglitazone with metformin combination tablets (Avandamet) listed on the PBS. | Rosiglitazone with metformin in a fixed-dose combination tablet (Avandamet) was listed on the PBS as a third-line choice, after metformin and/or a sulfonylurea. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2006-12-01 00:00:00 |
| Exenatide (Byetta): first in another new class of diabetes drugs | Information about exenatide (Byetta): the first incretin mimetic for use in diabetes | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2010-08-01 00:00:00 |
| Another ultra-short-acting insulin PBS listed: insulin glulisine | Insulin glulisine (Apidra) is the third ultra-short-acting insulin analogue listed on the PBS, the others being insulin lispro and insulin aspart, for treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2007-12-01 00:00:00 |
| Exenatide (Byetta) for type 2 diabetes mellitus | Exenatide byetta solution for injection 5 micrograms; exenatide byetta solution for injection 10 micrograms | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Review | 2010-11-15 00:00:00 |
| Rosiglitazone and cardiovascular risk - NPS fact sheet | NPS has released a fact sheet discussing a recent meta-analysis that has raised concerns about a potential increase in cardiovascular risk among patients treated with rosiglitazone. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2007-08-01 00:00:00 |
| Insulin glargine (Lantus) for type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus | Reviews use of insulin glargine for diabetes mellitus, including comparison with isophane insulin and risk of hypoglycemia. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Review | 2006-12-01 00:00:00 |
| Pioglitazone (Actos) and rosiglitazone (Avandia) authority wording changed | The wording of the PBS requirements for pioglitazone (Actos) and rosiglitazone (Avandia) changed on 1 August 2006. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2006-08-01 00:00:00 |
| Pioglitazone (Actos) for type 2 diabetes mellitus | Information on use of pioglitazone (Actos) for type 2 diabetes mellitus, including safety and dosing issues. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Review | 2008-04-01 00:00:00 |
| Pioglitazone and bladder cancer: new safety advice | Regulatory bodies have advised that taking pioglitazone for more than 12 months may increase the risk of bladder cancer. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Brief item | 2011-08-16 00:00:09 |
| Metformin/glibenclamide (Glucovance) for type 2 diabetes mellitus | Reviews use of metformin/glibenclamide combination tablets for type 2 diabetes mellitus, including comparison with co-administered drugs and risk of hypoglycaemia. | Professional publication - NPS RADAR - Review | 2005-12-01 00:00:00 |
| NPS Prescribing Practice Review 29: Reducing risk in type 2 diabetes | Information on assessing/managing cardiovascular risk factors, blood glucose control, and initiating insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes. Sample feedback prescribing data is also provided. | Professional publication - Prescribing Practice Review | 2005-04-29 00:00:00 |
| NPS Prescribing Practice Review 29: Reducing risk in type 2 diabetes | Information on assessing/managing cardiovascular risk factors, blood glucose control, and initiating insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes. Sample feedback prescribing data is also provided. | Professional publication - Prescribing Practice Review | 2005-04-29 00:00:00 |
| Type 2 diabetes - Managing hyperglycaemia | Reviews use of metformin and thiazolidinediones for type 2 diabetes, and provides simple guidelines for starting insulin. | Professional publication - NPS News | 2008-02-01 00:00:00 |
| Type 2 diabetes — treatment goals | Pharmacists can give this leaflet to clients with type 2 diabetes to help them discuss how best to manage their diabetes with their health professional. | Professional tool - Patient leaflet | 2008-04-15 00:00:00 |
| About Clinical e-Audit: Type 2 diabetes | This latest desktop software program features a new visual design and fast, intuitive feedback based on clinical data entered. It helps GPs review drug therapy and achieve target levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. | Professional activity - Clinical audit | 2008-10-30 00:00:00 |
| Exenatide (Byetta) for type 2 diabetes | info on exenatide (Byetta) for type 2 diabetes | Consumer publication - Medicine Update | 2010-12-16 00:00:00 |
| Insulin and oral diabetes medicines | Examines early use of insulin and oral antidiabetic agents to manage hypergylcaemia among patients with type 2 diabetes. | Professional publication - Prescribing Practice Review | 2008-03-01 00:00:00 |
| Pharmacy practice review: Enhancing patient care in type 2 diabetes | An education and quality assurance activity for pharmacists to help them assess how they are managing patients using an antidiabetic agent(s) with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. | Professional activity - Pharmacy Practice Review | 2008-04-18 00:00:00 |
| NPS Prescribing Practice Review 15: Managing type 2 diabetes | Information on lifestyle/diet interventions, drugs for diabetes, and how to manage cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes. Sample feedback prescribing data is also provided. | Professional publication - Prescribing Practice Review | 2001-11-12 00:00:00 |
| Antidiabetic drugs - type 2 diabetes | Oral therapy with older drugs as effective as insulin in Type 2 diabetes. Concerns over diabetes in Australian indigenous peoples. Includes case study. | Professional publication - NPS News | 2001-08-01 00:00:00 |
| Type 2 diabetes — starting insulin | This leaflet gives you information on why it may be important to consider using insulin to treat your type 2 diabetes | Professional tool - Patient leaflet | 2008-04-03 00:00:00 |
| Rosiglitazone and cardiovascular risk | Fact sheet on a meta-analysis of clinical trials which reported that rosiglitazone is responsible for a small increase in the risk of myocardial infarction. | Professional publication - NPS factsheet | 2007-07-25 00:00:00 |
Useful information from Australian Prescriber
| Content type | Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Prescriber - Article | 2004-10-01 00:00:00 | Diabetes and antipsychotic drugs |
| Australian Prescriber - Article | 2004-08-01 00:00:00 | Starting insulin treatment in type 2 diabetes |
| Australian Prescriber - Article | 2004-04-01 00:00:00 | Diabetes and periodontitis |
| Australian Prescriber - Article | 2002-04-01 00:00:00 | Insulins in 2002 |
| Australian Prescriber - Article | 2002-02-01 00:00:00 | Insulin delivery devices |
| Australian Prescriber - Article | 1997-08-01 00:00:00 | Management of type 2 diabetes |
| Australian Prescriber - Editorial | 2002-10-01 00:00:00 | Can we afford intensive management of diabetes? |
| Australian Prescriber - Experimental and clinical pharmacology | 2004-06-01 00:00:00 | Thiazolidinediones |
| Australian Prescriber - Experimental and clinical pharmacology | 2004-06-01 00:00:00 | Clinical indications for thiazolidinediones |
Date published: 2009-09-20 00:00:00
Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the date of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health professional. Health professionals should rely on their own expertise and enquiries when providing medical advice or treatment. Where permitted by law, NPS disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer.
References to brands should not be taken as an endorsement by NPS.
