Family physicians manage the majority of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Singapore. Hence, they should be familiar with the profile of the many available oral glucose-lowering agents. These drugs vary in their mechanisms of action, glucose-lowering efficacy, safety profiles and treatment costs between classes – even within classes in some cases. These factors should be carefully considered for a patient-centred approach to selecting oral glucose-lowering therapy. This review aims to describe the characteristics of various oral glucose-lowering agents available to family physicians in the management of T2DM and the impact of these characteristics on the patient-centric approach to treatment decision-making.