Type 2 Diabetes Therapies: A STEPS Approach.

A concise way to evaluate pharmacotherapy options for type 2 diabetes mellitus is to use the five patient-oriented STEPS criteria: safety, tolerability, efficacy, price, and simplicity. The first-line treatment option, metformin, is safe and fairly well-tolerated, has excellent long-term efficacy for patient-oriented outcomes, is moderately priced, and has a simple dosing regimen. However, most patients with type 2 diabetes require more than one medication. The STEPS approach can help choose subsequent medications if metformin does not provide adequate glycemic control.