There is no single correct treatment option for all patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Duration of diabetes and stage of the disease, level of control, lifestyle habits, and attitude toward disease management all affect the choice of treatment for any given individual. Indeed, the above factors should be especially considered when considering initiating insulin therapy in these patients. Basal insulin and premixed insulin remain the most common formulations used when initiating insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes and, as demonstrated in this article, both of these insulin strategies can be effective in controlling hyperglycemia when therapy is individualized to the patient.