The DRIVE trial demonstrates that a protocol-driven remote care program for prescribing and titrating SGLT2i and GLP-1 RA in high-risk type 2 diabetes patients is safe with manageable adverse events.
Remote prescribing shown safeProtocol-driven program for SGLT2i/GLP-1 RA in high-risk T2D patients
What the researchers found
A protocol-driven remote management program for SGLT2i and GLP-1 RA prescribing in high-risk T2D patients demonstrated acceptable safety with manageable adverse events.
Why it matters
If proven safe, remote prescribing programs could dramatically expand access to cardiovascular and kidney-protective diabetes medications, especially in underserved areas.
How the study worked
Pragmatic randomized trial (DRIVE) evaluating safety of protocol-driven remote prescribing and titration of SGLT2i and GLP-1 RA.
What this study cannot tell us
Safety-focused analysis may not fully address long-term effectiveness; remote care model may not suit all patients; protocol-driven care limits individualization.
How to read the evidence
Pragmatic randomized trial — strong design for real-world safety evaluation of care delivery models.
When this study was published
Published in 2026, addressing the urgent need to close the gap between diabetes guidelines and real-world prescribing.
The bigger picture
Remote care models could solve the massive implementation gap between guideline recommendations and real-world prescribing of evidence-based diabetes therapies, potentially preventing thousands of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failures.
Questions still open
- Can remote management programs achieve the same clinical outcomes as in-person specialist care?
- Which patient populations are best suited for remote diabetes medication management?
Common questions
Why are these diabetes drugs underused if they work so well?
Is it safe to start these medications without an in-person visit?
Read the original research
Safety of a remote disease management program to improve sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists prescribing in type 2 diabetes with elevated cardiovascular or kidney risk.
American heart journal, 296, 107359
Citation
Chang, Lee-Shing; Hassan, Shahzad; Chasse, Jacqueline; Stern, Gretchen; Gabovitch, Daniel; Zelle, David; Colling, Caitlin; Crossen, Jennifer; Aronson, Samuel J; Oates, Michael; Figueroa, Christian; Collins, Emma; Ruggiero, Ryan; Plutzky, Jorge; Gaziano, Thomas A; Cannon, Christopher P; Wexler, Deborah J; Scirica, Benjamin M; Blood, Alexander J. (2026). Safety of a remote disease management program to improve sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists prescribing in type 2 diabetes with elevated cardiovascular or kidney risk.. American heart journal, 296, 107359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2026.107359