Economic impact of and treatment options for type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes and its various comorbidities are responsible for a substantial societal financial burden. Healthcare and managed care providers must take responsibility for and address the high healthcare costs attributed to diabetes care. They can work together to improve diabetes-related patient care and reduce costs. Newer therapeutic agents and those used as combination therapy may decrease direct costs by improving glycemic control and preventing negative outcomes associated with diabetes comorbidities. Additional diabetes education, increased time to review medication adherence and diabetes monitoring, and having affordable care are all necessary to improve the care of individuals with diabetes.