Self-monitoring of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes : a current view : diabetes educator's focus

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is often be a daily practice in the patient's management of his/her diabetes, and the readings are used by healthcare professionals to monitor the progress of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. In type 1 diabetes, where patients need multiple daily injections, there is no doubt that daily self-monitoring is essential to manage their diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, although it is often used, SMBG is a lot more controversial. It contributes significantly to the cost of managing the diabetes because of the expense of the equipment and the ongoing cost of the strips.