Combination Medications for Type 2 Diabetes

Some drugs are combined in one pill

Written by Lisa M. Leontis RN, ANP-C and Kamiah A. Walker

Reviewed by Amy Hess-Fischl MS, RD, LDN, BC-ADM, CDE

Some medications combine the effects of two medications, and that has one main advantage. Many people with type 2 diabetes end up taking multiple prescriptions anyway, so it can be convenient to have them combined in one pill.

A potential drawback of using a combination medication is that it’s harder to adjust the dosage; the medications come with certain doses of one medication to the other.

Examples of combination medications for type 2 diabetes:

Metformin and glipizide (Metaglip)
Rosiglitazone and glimeperide (Avandaryl)
Pioglitazone and metformin (ACTOplus Met)
Metformin and glyburide (Glucovance)
Rosiglitazone and metformin (Avandamet)
Pioglitazone and glimepiride (duetact)

Sources

American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2009. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:S13-61.
Becker G. Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the newly Diagnosed. 2^nd ed. New York, NY: Marlowe & Company; 2007.
McCulloch D. Patient information: Diabetes type 2: Overview. UpToDate Web site. January 30, 2009. Available at: http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~n0K0MIfI1iZs.&selectedTitle=5~150&source=search_result. Accessed April 20, 2009.
McCulloch D. Patient information: Diabetes mellitus type 2: Overview. UpToDate Web site. December 4, 2008. Available at: http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~X0jjLnBn4._ko&selectedTitle=4~150&source=search_result. Accessed April 20, 2009.

Last updated on 07/14/09

First published on 06/28/09

Continue Reading: New Medications for Type 2 Diabetes

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