Names of medicines/drugs Thread poster: Julia Martínez
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Hi! I\'ve received my first medical translation Sp>Eng and I\'d like to know whether names of medicines or drugs (eg Lanoxin, Azantac etc) are translated or not.
Thanks for your help.
| | | | AAAmedical 
Belgium
Local time: 15:33
English to Dutch
+ ...
Hello,
Names of medicine are not really translated but a certain medicine registered under the name X in a country can be registered under a name Y in another country (although same molecule, same company).
I guess you have to take these differences into account.
Regards
Ann
| | | | Julia Martínez
Argentina
Local time: 11:33
English to Spanish
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TOPIC STARTER | thank you very much, Ann | Apr 11, 2003 |
Quote:
On 2003-04-10 23:54, AAAmedical wrote:
Hello,
Names of medicine are not really translated but a certain medicine registered under the name X in a country can be registered under a name Y in another country (although same molecule, same company).
I guess you have to take these differences into account.
Regards
Ann
| | | | xima
Local time: 15:33
English to Catalan
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| Generics are usually preferred | Apr 11, 2003 |
Hello,
whenever I translate a medical text, I\'m usually asked to use the generic name.
If not, what I do is use the same trade name as in the original and include the generic name in brackets.
For instance:
... the use of Ativan is recomended in etc etc...
... es recomendable el uso de Ativan (lorazepam) en etc etc..
... if taking Nuprin, the patient etc etc
... si toma ... See more Hello,
whenever I translate a medical text, I\'m usually asked to use the generic name.
If not, what I do is use the same trade name as in the original and include the generic name in brackets.
For instance:
... the use of Ativan is recomended in etc etc...
... es recomendable el uso de Ativan (lorazepam) en etc etc..
... if taking Nuprin, the patient etc etc
... si toma Nuprin (ibuprofeno), el paciente etc etc
Hope it helps.
Xima ▲ Collapse
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xima
Local time: 15:33
English to Catalan
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| Generics are usually preferred | Apr 11, 2003 |
Hello,
whenever I translate a medical text, I\'m usually asked to use the generic name.
If not, what I do is use the same trade name as in the original and include the generic name in brackets.
For instance:
... the use of Ativan is recomended in etc etc...
... es recomendable el uso de Ativan (lorazepam) en etc etc..
... if taking Nuprin, the patient etc etc
... si toma ... See more Hello,
whenever I translate a medical text, I\'m usually asked to use the generic name.
If not, what I do is use the same trade name as in the original and include the generic name in brackets.
For instance:
... the use of Ativan is recomended in etc etc...
... es recomendable el uso de Ativan (lorazepam) en etc etc..
... if taking Nuprin, the patient etc etc
... si toma Nuprin (ibuprofeno), el paciente etc etc
Hope it helps.
Xima
NOTE: YOU WILL FIND QUITE A LOT OF CORRESPONDENCES IN
http://www.gitt.org/files/gitt_glossary.doc
▲ Collapse
| | | | Julia Martínez
Argentina
Local time: 11:33
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks Xima! You've been very helpful! | Apr 12, 2003 |
Quote:
On 2003-04-11 18:24, xima wrote:
Hello,
whenever I translate a medical text, I\'m usually asked to use the generic name.
If not, what I do is use the same trade name as in the original and include the generic name in brackets.
For instance:
... the use of Ativan is recomended in etc etc...
... es recomendable el uso de Ativan (lora
... See more Quote:
On 2003-04-11 18:24, xima wrote:
Hello,
whenever I translate a medical text, I\'m usually asked to use the generic name.
If not, what I do is use the same trade name as in the original and include the generic name in brackets.
For instance:
... the use of Ativan is recomended in etc etc...
... es recomendable el uso de Ativan (lorazepam) en etc etc..
... if taking Nuprin, the patient etc etc
... si toma Nuprin (ibuprofeno), el paciente etc etc
Hope it helps.
Xima
NOTE: YOU WILL FIND QUITE A LOT OF CORRESPONDENCES IN
http://www.gitt.org/files/gitt_glossary.doc
▲ Collapse
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Last week I went to hospital and got some medicines. The labels were totally written in generic names. These are better for pharmacist and patients to know what will be taken even during travelling abroad. It is very convenient now.
Soonthon Lupkitaro
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I prefer to translate and write the original in parenthesises. Same goes for books, publishings etc.
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| The standard, the INNs and the WHO's lists | Feb 12, 2011 |
Hi,
The standard is to use the INN (International Nonproprietary Name).
I mean that if, in a document to be translated, only the trade name in mentioned, for instance
"Thingy ®", the standard is to keep the trade name used in the original, followed by the INN within brackets : e.g. "Thingy ® (aspirin)".
Note that the INN is localized, according to the target language/country, i.e. according to the USAN, BAN, DCI, etc.
In the example... See more Hi,
The standard is to use the INN (International Nonproprietary Name).
I mean that if, in a document to be translated, only the trade name in mentioned, for instance
"Thingy ®", the standard is to keep the trade name used in the original, followed by the INN within brackets : e.g. "Thingy ® (aspirin)".
Note that the INN is localized, according to the target language/country, i.e. according to the USAN, BAN, DCI, etc.
In the example above, in French it will be "Thingy ® (aspirine)".
Last point : note that the translator is neither supposed nor expected to look the national equivalent trade names up. In fact, indicating a supposed equivalent could even be harmful, as the suggested substitute medicine might not be a true equivalent (slightly different dosage, composition, action or effects, etc.)
Important : Hereafter, the URL to access the Lists of the Proposed and Recommended INNs, published (in 4 languages : Latin, EN, FR, ES) and updated by the WHO :
http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/druginformation/innlists/en/
Those lists also show the molecular formulae in EN, FR and ES. plus the graphic formulae.
Catherine ▲ Collapse
| | | | Steven Capsuto
United States
Local time: 09:33
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
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| Depends whose English it's going into | Feb 13, 2011 |
Be aware that the U.S. does not always recognize the international non-proprietary name. So, for instance, the drug that pretty much everyone else in the world calls paracetamol is called acetaminophen in the U.S.
This happens with a some other drugs as well. So if you're translating for the U.S., be sure to use FDA-approved terminology.
[Edited at 2011-02-13 06:26 GMT]
| | | | | Is there a list of FDA/INNs names equivalents ? | Feb 13, 2011 |
Steven Capsuto wrote:
Be aware that the U.S. does not always recognize the international non-proprietary name. So, for instance, the drug that pretty much everyone else in the world calls paracetamol is called acetaminophen in the U.S.
This happens with a some other drugs as well. So if you're translating for the U.S., be sure to use FDA-approved terminology.
[Edited at 2011-02-13 06:26 GMT]
Hi Steven,
Thank you for your imput.
Can you tell us if there is - and where to find, if any - a list of the official equivalents between the WHO's INNs and the FDA's approved names ?
Secondly, am I wrong to assume that a European translator who translates into EN a pharmaceutical document for an US client, using an INN instead of an FDA name shouldn't be considered as heavily at fault ? I think that in any case, the WHO is an authority which outweighs the FDA at the global level, being a branch of the UNO.
I never translate into EN, but I'm very curious.
Have a nice day
Catherine
| | | | Emma Goldsmith
Spain
Local time: 15:33
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
| off topic about EN translators | Feb 13, 2011 |
Catherine GUILLIAUMET wrote:
a European translator who translates into EN a pharmaceutical document for an US client
This sort of problem illustrates why I don't translate into US English (I'm a UK English speaker). It's not just a question of spelling differences. I will do so if pressed, but then I insist that the proofreader should be a US English speaker.
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Steven Capsuto
United States
Local time: 09:33
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
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| Purpose of the translation | Feb 13, 2011 |
Catherine GUILLIAUMET wrote:
Secondly, am I wrong to assume that a European translator who translates into EN a pharmaceutical document for an US client, using an INN instead of an FDA name shouldn't be considered as heavily at fault ?
If you're translating official drug fact sheets or packaging for use in the U.S., failure to use FDA terminology can cause legal problems (which I assume the pharma company's lawyers would spot before the text goes to the print shop). I think the same issues apply when translating into Spanish for Puerto Rico: there's official U.S. Spanish nomenclature for that market.
The easiest way to find the U.S. drug names is to do a Google search for the INN name and limit the search to fda.gov. IIRC, the FDA's online fact sheets about approved drugs give the U.S. name as the page header but also list foreign names. Also, Wikipedia pages about specific drugs usually list both the INN and FDA names, which can then be confirmed by searching the FDA website.
| | | | | Thank you, Steven | Feb 14, 2011 |
Thank you for those very good tips.
A good idea to mention the U.S. Spanish nomenclature for Puerto Rico. I always forget that this is not an independant state, and I suppose that I'm not the only one in Europe who think so.
Your tips may also be useful to those translating in the other direction.
Catherine
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