In our internal medicine resident clinics, there is a high percentage of patients with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The staff (nurse,
pharmacy, social work, and physicians) works together with the patient to determine the best course of treatment to manage the patient’s T2DM. Current guidelines from Endocrine and Cardiology societies support the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (RA) in patients early in their disease management. This has resulted in the frequent use of GLP-1 RA in all patients which is a trend that has been observed in our clinic as well. The pharmacy and nursing staff, along with the clinic’s social worker, frequently communicate with patients regarding their drug therapy. Since there are multiple options within the GLP-1 RA class, the focus of this presentation will be to differentiate between the agents as well as to increase the audience’s (the staff’s) knowledge of the various agents. The following points will be discussed in relation to the GLP-1 RAs: mechanism of action, FDA-approved indications, administration, side effects, and accessibility.