Objective: To explore the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine for treating diabetes. Method: The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions for treating diabetes were collected to build a database based on TCM inheritance assist system. Association rules algorithm and entropy clustering methods were used to determine the frequency of single drug and drug combinations

the association rules between drugs

core drug combinations and so on. Result: Based on the analysis of prescriptions for treating diabetes

the frequently adopted drugs were Astragali Radix

Poria

Rehmanniae Radix

Dioscoreae Rhizoma

and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. The frequently adopted drug combinations were 'Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Astragali Radix'

'Astragali Radix and Rehmanniae Radix'

and 'Poria and Astragali Radix'. In the association rules with a confidence of over 0.85

the drug combinations included 'Corni Fructus

Moutan Cortex

Poria->Dioscoreae Rhizoma'

'Moutan Cortex

Alismatis Rhizoma

Poria->Dioscoreae Rhizoma'

and 'Dioscoreae Rhizoma

Moutan Cortex

Alismatis Rhizoma->Poria'. Conclusion: In TCM

the drugs used for treating diabetes mostly have the effects of tonifying Qi and Yin

strengthening spleen and kidney

clearing heat and promoting fluid

and activating circulation to remove blood stasis

which reflects a refined and rational compatibility.