My brother was diagnosed last week with type 2 Diabetes...........

[Warpy]

1. Tell him to go to Wal Mart (they're usually cheaper) and buy himself a glucose monitor

The pharmacist can help him choose one, along with a bottle of test strips and a finger poker, if that doesn't come with the meter.

He needs to check his sugar every morning when he wakes up, before he's had anything to eat or drink. He needs to check his level if he starts to feel dizzy, hungry, sweaty, or anything he generally doesn't feel, especially if he's on a blood sugar lowering drug.

I usually don't recommend Dr. Google, but his doctor needed to do some teaching. Even when they turf it off to a nurse in the office, there is some diabetic teaching that needs to be done, especially when meds are prescribed. The ADA has a great page to get him started in learning about his new diagnosis: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-2/

It would be helpful to know what drugs he's on, if he's on one that directly lowers glucose. If he is, the doctor's negligence borders on the criminal level.

290 is higher than anyone wants it to be, but it's not a panic value. It's something that needs to be brought down ASAP because the longer it stays that high, the higher the risk of complications.

Tell him the referral he needs to chase is to an endocrinologist. Those are the doctors who take care of diabetics. Even if he is able to control it with diet, he does need to be followed long term.