Insulin therapy is an integral part of the pharmacological management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Guidelines recommended insulin therapy for those patients with suboptimal glycaemic control despite optimal medical treatments. Studies show that insulin therapy with the human and regular insulins improve glycaemic control, reduce the chronic complications, and inevitably improve patient’s quality of life. The new analogue insulin has a better safety profile and efficacies, and has been shown to achieve better outcomes and patient’s acceptability compared with the human and regular insulins. The diabetic guidelines also recommend the intensity of insulin therapy in a personalised glycaemic control strategy based on the patient’s profiles and their preferences. However, the guidelines do not recommend any standardised approach to the principles of insulin initiation, titration, and monitoring. This review summarises the essential principles of insulin initiation, titration, and monitoring in Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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