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Diabetes Drugs: Summary of affordable alternatives
Six types of oral medicines (and 11 individual drugs) are now available to help the 21 million people in the U.S. with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar when diet and lifestyle change are not enough.
drug reportOur evaluation of these medicines found the following:
  • Newer drugs are no better. One older type of medicine, the sulfonylureas, and an older drug named metformin work just as well as four newer classes. Indeed, several of the newer drugs are less effective than the older ones.
  • Newer drugs are no safer. All diabetes pills have the potential to cause adverse effects, both minor and serious. The drugs’ side effect “profiles” may be the most important factor in your choice.
  • The newer drugs are more expensive. The newer diabetes medicines cost many times more than the older ones.
  • Taking two diabetes drugs can improve blood sugar control. Many people with diabetes do not get enough help from one drug. Two may be necessary. However, taking two drugs can raise the risk of adverse effects and increase costs.

Taking effectiveness, safety, side effects, dosing, and cost into consideration, we have chosen the following as Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs if your doctor and you have decided that you need medicine to control your diabetes:

  • Metformin – alone or in combination with glipizide or glimepiride
  • Glipizide and Glipizide Sustained Release – alone or in combination with metformin
  • Glimepiride – alone or in combination with metformin

These medicines are available as low-cost generics. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, we recommend that you try metformin first unless your health status prevents it.

If metformin fails to bring your blood sugar into normal range, we recommend you add glipizide or glimepiride. Should either of those drugs cause problems, Actos (pioglitizone) may be an option you and your doctor will want to consider. Actos and Avandia (rosiglitizone) have been heavily promoted to doctors and consumers, however, and have been over-prescribed.

Diabetes Drugs: Cost Comparison and Best Buy Drugs
Recommendations: Diabetes Drugs
CR Best Buy Generic Name and Dose Brand Name (or Generic) Number of Pills (Per day)1 Total Daily Dose1 Average Monthly Cost2 Compare
Prices
  Glyburide 5 mg tablet Generic One 5 mg $12 Compare Prices
  Glyburide 5 mg tablet Micronase One 5 mg $41 Compare Prices
  Glyburide 5 mg tablet Diabeta One 5 mg $31 Compare Prices
  Glyburide 5 mg tablet + 2.5 mg tablet Generic One 7.5 mg $23 Compare Prices
  Glyburide 5 mg tablet + 2.5 mg tablet Micronase One 7.5 mg $69 Compare Prices
  Glyburide 5 mg tablet + 2.5 mg tablet Diabeta One 7.5 mg - Compare Prices
  Glyburide 5 mg tablet Generic Two 10 mg $39 Compare Prices
  Glyburide 5 mg tablet Micronase Two 10 mg $81 Compare Prices
  Glyburide 5 mg tablet Diabeta Two 10 mg $62 Compare Prices
  Glyburide micronized 3 mg tablet Glynase One 3 mg $42 Compare Prices
  Glyburide micronized 3 mg tablet Generic One 3 mg $12 Compare Prices
  Glyburide micronized 6 mg tablet Glynase One 6 mg $66 Compare Prices
  Glyburide micronized 6 mg tablet Generic One 6 mg $19 Compare Prices
  Glyburide micronized 6 mg tablet + 1.5 mg tablet Glynase One 7.5 mg $89 Compare Prices
  Glyburide micronized 6 mg tablet + 1.5 mg tablet Generic One 7.5 mg $29 Compare Prices
  Glipizide 5 mg tablet Glucotrol One 5 mg $22 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glipizide 5 mg tablet Generic One 5 mg $9 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glipizide 10 mg tablet Glucotrol One 10 mg $34 Compare Prices
  Glipizide 10 mg tablet Generic One 10 mg $11 Compare Prices
  Glipizide 10 mg tablet Glucotrol Two 20 mg $68 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glipizide 10 mg tablet Generic Two 20 mg $22 Compare Prices
  Glipizide 5 mg tablet, sustained release Glucotrol One 5 mg $22 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glipizide 5 mg tablet, sustained release Generic One 5 mg $14 to $17 Compare Prices
  Glipizide 5 mg + 2.5 mg tablets, sustained release Glucotrol One 7.5 mg $43 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glipizide 5 mg + 2.5 mg tablets, sustained release Generic One 7.5 mg $28 Compare Prices
  Glipizide 10 mg tablet, sustained release Glucotrol One 10 mg $39 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glipizide 10 mg tablet, sustained release Generic One 10 mg $23 to $29 Compare Prices
  Glipizide 10 mg + 5 tablets, sustained release Glucotrol One 15 mg $61 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glipizide 10 mg + 5 tablets, sustained release Generic One 15 mg $43 Compare Prices
  Glipizide 10 mg tablets, sustained release Glucotrol Two 20 mg $78 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glipizide 10 mg tablets, sustained release Generic Two 20 mg $46 to $58 Compare Prices
  Glimepiride 1 mg tablet Amaryl One 1 mg $20 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glimepiride 1 mg tablet Generic One 1 mg $12 Compare Prices
  Glimepiride 2 mg tablet Amaryl One 2 mg $29 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glimepiride 2 mg tablet Generic One 2 mg $18 Compare Prices
  Glimepiride 4 mg tablet Amaryl One 4 mg $51 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Glimepiride 4 mg tablet Generic One 4 mg $27 Compare Prices
  Metformin 500 mg tablet Glucophage Three 1500 mg $102 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Metformin 500 mg tablet Generic Three 1500 mg $38 Compare Prices
  Metformin 1000 mg tablet Glucophage Two 2000 mg $134 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Metformin 1000 mg tablet Generic Two 2000 mg $45 Compare Prices
  Metformin 1000 and 500 mg tablets Glucophage Three 2550 mg $168 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Metformin 1000 and 500 mg tablets Generic Three 2500 mg $58 Compare Prices
  Metformin 850 mg tablet Glucophage Three 2550 mg $167 Compare Prices
CR Best Buy Metformin 850 mg tablet Generic Three 2550 mg $60 Compare Prices
  Sitagliptin 100 mg tablet Januvia One 100 mg $208 Compare Prices
  Sitagliptin 50 mg tablet Januvia One 50 mg $201 Compare Prices
  Pioglitazone 15 mg tablet Actos One 15 mg $142 Compare Prices
  Pioglitazone 30 mg tablet Actos One 30 mg $221 Compare Prices
  Pioglitazone 45 mg tablet Actos One 45 mg $241 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone 2 mg tablet Avandia Two 4 mg $180 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone 4 mg tablet Avandia One 4 mg $131 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone 4 mg tablet Avandia Two 8 mg $262 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone 8 mg tablet Avandia One 8 mg $233 Compare Prices
  Repaglinide 1 mg tablet Prandin Three 3 mg $162 Compare Prices
  Repaglinide 1 mg and 0.5 mg tablet Prandin Three 4.5 mg $321 Compare Prices
  Repaglinide 2 mg tablet Prandin Three 6 mg $156 Compare Prices
  Nateglinide 60 mg tablet Starlix Three 180 mg $157 Compare Prices
  Nateglinide 120 mg tablet Starlix Three 460 mg $162 Compare Prices
  Acarbose 50 mg tablet Precose Three 150 mg $106 Compare Prices
  Acarbose 50 mg plus 25 mg tablets Precose Three 225 mg $210 Compare Prices
  Acarbose 100 mg tablet Precose Three 300 mg $124 Compare Prices
  Miglitol 50 mg tablet Glyset Three 150 mg $99 Compare Prices
  Miglitol 50 mg plus 25 mg tablets Glyset Three 225 mg $195 Compare Prices
  Miglitol 100 mg tablet Glyset Three 300 mg $113 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glipizide 250 mg/2.5 mg Metaglip Two 250/2.5-500/5 mg $71 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glipizide 250 mg/2.5 mg Generic Two 500/5 mg $57 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glipizide 500 mg/2.5 mg Metaglip Two 1000/5 mg $78 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glipizide 500 mg/2.5 mg Generic Two 1000/5 mg $63 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glipizide 500 mg/5 mg Metaglip Two 1000/10 mg $79 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glipizide 500 mg/5 mg Generic Two 1000/10 mg $62 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glyburide 250 mg/1.25 mg Glucovance Two 500/2.5 mg $72 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glyburide 250 mg/1.25 mg Generic Two 500/2.5 mg $44 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glyburide 500 mg/2.5 mg Glucovance Two 1000/5 mg $86 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glyburide 500 mg/2.5 mg Generic Two 1000/5 mg $47 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glyburide 500 mg/5 mg6 Glucovance Three 1500/15 mg $129 Compare Prices
  Metformin+glyburide 500 mg/5 mg6 Generic Three 1500/15 mg $71 Compare Prices
  Pioglitazone+ metformin 15mg/850 tablet Actoplus Met One 850/15 mg $105 Compare Prices
  Pioglitazone+ metformin 15mg/500 tablet Actoplus Met Two 1000/30 mg $206 Compare Prices
  Pioglitazone+ metformin 15 mg/850 tablet Actoplus Met Two 1500/45 mg $210 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone+ glimepiride 4 mg/1 mg tablet Avandaryl One 4/1 mg $144 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone+ glimepiride 4 mg/2 mg tablet Avandaryl One 4/2 mg $150 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone+ glimepiride 4 mg/4 mg tablet Avandaryl One 4/4 mg $148 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone+ glimepiride 4 mg/8 mg tablet Avandaryl One 4/4 mg $148 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone+ metformin 1 mg/500 mg Avandamet Two 2/1000 mg $83 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone + metformin 1 mg/500 mg Avandamet Two 4/1000 mg $152 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone + metformin 2 mg/500 mg Avandamet Two 4/2000 mg $161 Compare Prices
  Rosiglitazone + metformin 4 mg/1000 mg Avandamet Two 8/2000 mg $262 Compare Prices
  Sitagliptin + metformin 50/500 Janumet Two 100/1000 $106 Compare Prices
  Sitagliptin + metformin 50/1000 Janumet Two 100/1000 $104 Compare Prices
(1) As commonly or usually recommended.

(2) Prices reflect nationwide retail average for May 2007, rounded to the nearest dollar. Information derived by Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugsfrom data provided byWolters Kluwer Health, Pharmaceutical Audit Suite.
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