Diabetes—Pharmacologic Management Update

Overview

The number of people with diabetes is growing exponentially according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Diabetes continues to take a serious toll and is the leading cause of microvascular complications that lead to blindness, amputation, and kidney failure.

Preventing these complications requires aggressive management. Since the advent of insulin, many other medications and technologies have been developed to help with this management, including home and continuous glucose monitoring, multiple basal insulins, and new classes of oral and injectable medications. Most people with diabetes now take multiple medications to manage glucose levels and comorbidities.

This article provides an update on diabetes medications, focusing on concentrated insulin and noninsulin.

Key Learning Outcomes

1. Differentiate types of concentrated insulin.
2. Compare three categories of noninsulin medications used to treat patients with diabetes.
3. Discuss nursing actions for patients with diabetes who are receiving concentrated insulin or noninsulin medications.

Presented By

Susan Renda, DNP, ANP-BC, CDE, FNAP, FAAN
Dr. Renda is an assistant professor and adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioner track coordinator at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, Maryland.