Pharmaceutical translation: key aspects to consider

Pharmaceutical translation is one of the most interesting and prolific fields of medical translation. Not just because of the huge professional challenge that these texts can pose for a translator, but also because medicines are at the forefront of saving millions of lives every day. In fact, the package leaflet that comes with medicines is so important that by law it must be included in every drug package!

Here are a few tips for observing and investigating the specifics of package leaflets for pharmaceuticals in different cultures. Because pharmaceutical translations are a world of their own!

Key Considerations in Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Translation Services

As translators, we have a huge responsibility in translation for pharmaceutical companies as the patient’s life is at stake. However, this doesn’t mean we should panic every time we are asked to provide pharmaceutical translation services. In our experience, the key to translating this type of text is observation.

Design and Structure

To translate the drug instructions, we need to understand the format of the package leaflet. This includes the design, the structure of the contents and the use of colour coding.

What’s more, we must know what it is. In other words, is it a capsule, a syrup, an inhaler, a tablet, a cream, an injectable solution or something else? This information tells us one crucial thing, how it is administered.

Lastly, it is so important to identify which demographic it is aimed at.

 

 

Investigation is the key

If the information above is what the majority of the population is looking for, there will be plenty of options. In translation for the medical sector, we need to dig a little deeper to be able to transmit this information correctly.

In the case of pharmaceuticals, we must identify the field of medicine the drug is aimed at. Admittedly, we should research the topic extensively. This means reading statistics, reports and prognoses, and informing ourselves on the latest developments in the fields of study of the condition.

Clearly, we must always use reliable sources to support our decisions when pharmaceutical translations. In short, it is a highly complex task that requires us to be as meticulous as possible.

 

Cultural sensitivity in medical translation

However, like everything else, cultural knowledge is also highly important in medical document translation. In this specific field, cultural aspects play a significant role in the structure and formal characteristics of the package leaflet.

For example, in the UK, the rules for publishing package leaflets state that the content must be clear and easy to understand. They must provide the necessary information for the patient to use the product safely.

 

Different Structures for Different Markets

More recently, though, the structure of these leaflets has taken on more of a question and answer format.

However, these requirements vary greatly depending on the country and the language. For example, how would we provide medical translation services  for such texts for the US market? Here is where things get a little complicated.

In the US, there are up to three different types of package leaflet, each one aimed at a different user: doctor, pharmacist and patient. The information aimed at the doctor and the pharmacist is generally more extensive than that aimed at the patient, who is in turn encouraged to turn to the professionals for more information. So, once again, we see how important it is for the medical translator to know exactly who the text is aimed at.

 

Why Choose Professional Pharmaceutical Translation Companies?

Pharmaceutical translation companies specialize in the healthcare sector, ensuring that their translators have expert knowledge of both the target language and the specific medical domain. Trusting professional healthcare and pharmaceutical translation services ensures that your pharmaceutical documents meet all legal requirements and are accurately translated to maintain patient safety.

At Ontranslation we have a scientific translation team who would love to play their part in translating information that could save thousands of lives.