The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rising dramatically — largely due to the greater consumption of calorie-rich food combined with increasingly sedentary lifestyles — and this is set to double by 2030. Adequate management of the disease is vital to reduce the incidence of severe and life-threatening complications that arise as a consequence of diabetes. Current guidelines for the management of blood glucose levels have set target glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA_1c) levels to <7.5%, a figure that many people do not achieve with current treatment strategies, highlighting a need for a simple, effective approach to diabetes treatment to improve glycaemic control. Recently, an algorithm for the initiation and adjustment of therapy in type 2 diabetes has been put forward in a consensus statement, which offers a structured approach to disease management. A step-wise plan for type 2 diabetes treatment, from the point of initial diagnosis to the initiation and adjustment of insulin therapy, aims to achieve glycaemic control and reduce the massive healthcare, economic and social consequences of the disease.