Oral Hypoglycaemics course for GPs

This session provides an overview of oral hypoglycaemic agents, their indications, cautions and the clinical guidelines governing their use.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• describe the differences between the types of oral hypoglycaemics available and their mechanisms of action
• explain the indications of the various oral hypoglycaemics (OHGs) and cautions around their use
• discuss the NICE guidance and be able to compare it to the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes guidelines
• advise on medication use during intercurrent illness

Lifestyle interventions such as weight loss, smoking cessation and regular exercise can help to reduce hyperglycaemia and reduce cardiovascular risk and encouraged at every opportunity. Hypoglycaemic medications should be prescribed to augment lifestyle interventions, when these changes are not adequate to control blood-glucose alone.