Medicines for type 2 diabetes
Also called anti-diabetic medicines
Key points about type 2 medicines for diabetes
- Constantly raised blood glucose (sugar) levels damages your blood vessels and nerves, leading to problems affecting your kidneys, feet and eyes. Your risk of stroke and heart attacks also increases.
- When used with a healthy diet and exercise, diabetes medicine can effectively lower your blood glucose levels.
- Find out how to take diabetes medicines safely and possible side effects.

When you have type 2 diabetes (mate huka), your body does not make enough insulin or does not use it well enough. This leads to raised blood glucose (sugar) levels. Having constantly raised blood glucose levels damages your blood vessels and nerves, leading to problems affecting your kidneys, feet and eyes. Your risk of stroke and heart attacks also increases.
When used with a healthy diet and exercise, diabetes medicine can effectively lower your blood glucose levels.
Diabetes medicines are used to lower blood glucose levels when lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise have not been successful. Sometimes medicines are prescribed at first diagnosis if blood glucose levels are very high. You need to keep eating a healthy balanced diet, managing your weight and exercising regularly even when you are taking diabetes medicines.
There are a variety of medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes – most are available as tablets. The most commonly prescribed medicine is metformin. Some people also need insulin, which is available as an injection only.
Your diabetes may be well controlled on one medicine alone, or you may need a combination of medicines. Some people need a combination of tablets and insulin injection. Every person’s care plan is different and your healthcare provider will work with you to find out the best treatment plan for you.
Diabetes medication | |
Metformin
Most people with type 2 diabetes are started on metformin tablets.
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Other diabetes medicines
These medicines are usually prescribed if you are unable to take metformin or if your blood glucose levels have not been lowered successfully with metformin alone. Combining medicines can be a more effective way to lower your blood glucose levels. Click on the links below to find out more about each medicine:
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Insulin
Insulin injections are used when your blood glucose levels have not been lowered successfully with tablets. This is usually when your body no longer produces enough insulin. Insulin medicine is very similar to natural human insulin. Insulin is given as an injection under your skin. It cannot be given as tablets because enzymes in your stomach destroy it. There are different types of insulin. Read more about insulin. |
Here are some of the things you and your doctor may consider when deciding on the best treatment for you.
Your blood glucose levels: Most people with type 2 diabetes are started on metformin tablets. If you are unable to take metformin because of side effects or other reasons, your doctor will consider starting you on other medicines. If your blood glucose level is not successfully lowered with metformin alone, your doctor may add in other medicines that act in different ways to lower your blood glucose levels.
Other health conditions: Some conditions you might have along with diabetes can affect how well your medicines control your blood glucose, including:
- obesity
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- heart disease
- kidney disease.
Funding: Some newer diabetes medicines such as empagliflozin and vildagliptin are funded for people with diabetes if they meet certain criteria (also called a special authority). Read more about a special authority.
Side effects: When deciding on the best medicine for you, discuss with your healthcare provider the possible side effects of the medicine and how these are likely to affect you or your lifestyle, such as weight gain or the risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose).
Understanding what your medicines are for and how to take them helps ensure you get the most benefit from them. Here are some questions that you might ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse:
- What is the name of my medicine and what does it do?
- What is the strength (eg, how many milligrams)?
- How much should I take for each dose?
- At what times of day should I take my medicine?
- Am I supposed to take it with something to eat?
- What should I do if I forget to take a dose?
- What should I do if I miss a meal?
- Are there any side effects to watch out for?
- When should I expect the medicine to start working, and how will I know if it is?
- Can my diabetes medicine cause low blood glucose?
- What should I do if my blood glucose is too low?
- What should I do if I feel better and don't want to keep taking it?
- Is it okay to take with other medicines, alcohol or natural remedies?
- What should I do if it doesn't seem to work?
- What should I do if Í am having an operation?
Learn more
Return to the main diabetes page.
Resources
Diabetes poster [PDF, 349 KB] Ministry of Health and Diabetes Project Trust, NZ, 2014
Starting insulin for people with type 2 diabetes(external link)(external link) SafeRx, Waitematā DHB, NZ Chinese(external link)(external link), English(external link)(external link), Korean(external link)(external link), Samoan(external link)(external link), Tongan(external link)(external link)
Empagliflozin factsheet [PDF, 207 KB] Healthify He Puna Waiora, NZ, 2021 English [PDF, 207 KB], te reo Māori [PDF, 683 KB], Samoan [PDF, 663 KB], Tongan [PDF, 794 KB], Chinese (simplified). [PDF, 772 KB]Note: The Chinese (traditional)(external link) and Hindi (external link)factsheet translations don't mention heart failure. We are updating them and will replace them as soon as we can.
References
- Treatment of diabetes(external link)(external link) NZ Formulary
- Managing patients with type 2 diabetes – from lifestyle to insulin(external link)(external link) BPAC, 2015
- Vildagliptin – a new treatment for type 2 diabetes(external link)(external link) BPAC, 2018
- Management of type 2 diabetes(external link)(external link) NZ Primary Care Handbook, 2012
Brochures
Healthify He Puna Waiora, NZ, 2025
EnglishTe reo Māori
Samoan
Tongan
Chinese (simplified)
At home sick day advice
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, 2023
Credits: Sandra Ponen, Pharmacist, Healthify He Puna Waiora. Healthify is brought to you by Health Navigator Charitable Trust.
Reviewed by: Angela Lambie, Pharmacist, Auckland
Last reviewed:
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