Diabetes medications (Actos, Avandia, Byetta, Januvia, Janumet, Bydureon, Victoza, and others) are no substitute for a diabetes education and treatment program that includes diet, exercise and the right supplements like chromium or foods that contain nutrients vital to pancreatic function - especially when the risk of these drugs is examined. Medications are just a Band-Aid compared to a healthy diet and carb control, exercise and weight loss, but it’s often easier to take a medication than make changes or to prescribe a pill than to insist on lifestyle changes. And, it’s as much patient responsibility as physician.