OBJECTIVES: There is a dearth of information on the views and practices of physicians regarding the management of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The study objective was to identify physician-perceived barriers to diabetes self-management (DSM) and explore the challenges physicians face in managing these patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among physicians in a primary care setting. A survey was administered to a group of physicians to measure physician’s perceptions of patient barriers to DSM and the challenges they face in managing uncontrolled T2DM patients. Demographic information related to the physicians and their practice was also collected. All analyses were conducted using SPSS 23. RESULTS: Of the 21 physicians who responded (53.8% response rate), 71.2% were over the age of 50 years, 54.16% had ≥25 years of clinical experience, and 50% practiced in an urban setting. The respondents examined 5-60 patients with T2DM per week (mean=20), and over 75% of them spent less than 20 mins on a face-to-face visits. 95% respondents considered self-care activities such as regular moderate exercise, following a recommended diet, regular blood glucose testing, proper insulin administration, and adherence to oral medication as extremely important.  Practice-related aspects such as patient-physician communication, patient health literacy, and patient follow-up were unanimously considered extremely important, and performance on these measures was rated positively. Interestingly, 66% of physicians felt responsible to some extent for their patients’ failure to reach T2DM self-management goals. Some of the barriers identified by the physicians included cost of medications, lack of patient motivation and knowledge, non-compliance with diet and medications, polypharmacy, lack of time, and social support.  CONCLUSIONS: The study results underscore the importance of DSM in the overall management of the disease. Addressing the challenges faced by physicians may result in better self-management and improved clinical outcomes in T2DM population.