As glycaemic control deteriorates with the progression of type 2 diabetes, treatment guidelines advocate starting basal insulin therapy, and then progressing to a basal-bolus regimen as needed. Nevertheless, although timely intensification of therapy is important to minimise the risk of diabetic complications, considerable clinical inertia exists, not only in the initiation of insulin but also in the progression to multiple-dose insulin regimens. One barrier has been the lack of guidance about how to make the transition from basal-only to basal-bolus insulin therapy. In this review, we discuss how data from the recent FullSTEP study, along with other randomised studies, will help to bridge this gap. Prandial boluses can be added to basal insulin in a stepwise manner, using a straightforward, patient-led dose titration approach and simple estimation of which meal to add the initial prandial bolus to. Reducing the complexity of progression to multiple-dose insulin regimens and empowering patients will lessen the burden on clinicians, improve treatment satisfaction and facilitate timely implementation of treatment guidelines.

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