Pharmaceutical translation in Madrid

Establishing what the file is for

We can examine research and trial materials, standard operating procedures, manufacturing documents, product information and scientific communication. The word “pharmaceutical” alone is not enough for a useful brief. Tell us whether a file belongs to a regulatory submission, internal training, a production process or material intended for publication. Its purpose affects the reviewer profile, delivery format and the people who must approve the final version.

Good manufacturing practice terminology may already be standardised within your organisation. Send current glossaries, templates and previously approved translations if they are relevant. We will still check whether an old term applies to the present process. A translation memory can retrieve familiar wording, but it should not silently reintroduce an instruction from an obsolete procedure.

Figures, tables and version control

Drug names, strengths, units, batch identifiers, dates and section references can recur across a large set of documents. Checks should cover the relationship between these details as well as the prose. Tables, annexes and text within images need to be included when estimating the assignment. If the source will change during production, agree how revisions will be identified and which copy takes precedence.

Internal reviewers may return comments before a text is approved. Tell us who has authority over terminology and who will consolidate feedback. Several conflicting annotated files can introduce errors if there is no agreed master version. Our quality approach starts with a clear source and a documented scope of review, rather than relying on a final spellcheck.

If an identifier occurs in several tables, please say whether it comes from an internal system or a published name. Keeping it consistent across annexes makes later comparison easier. Mark any comments that are for the project team only, so we know whether to translate them, retain them as reference or leave them out of the deliverable.

A distinct subject from individual clinical records

Medical translation may involve clinical reports, consent forms and patient records. A trial can include both clinical and pharmaceutical material, but an individual case history should not be treated as a manufacturing procedure. Identify the different document groups if they form part of one project so that each can be assigned and reviewed with its own readers in mind.

Laboratory equipment manuals may also require technical translation. Component names can overlap with those in a protocol or operating procedure. A shared glossary can keep those references coherent. If instructions appear inside a software interface, software localisation may require checks on screen as well as in the exported text.

Formats and target markets

Please say whether the deliverable needs to remain editable, preserve tables or reproduce the source layout. A scanned PDF may require extraction and formatting; source files make it easier to keep headings, notes and version marks intact. An unreadable figure cannot be translated by assuming what it was intended to say. We will ask for a clearer copy or clarification where necessary.

For a multilingual release, specify the direction and target variety for each market. The languages pages can help you describe the request, while the actual availability is assessed for the subjects and directions involved. If translated versions already exist, bilingual review may check their completeness and terminology against the approved original before you commission replacement text.

Requesting a proposal

Send the full set or a representative sample with the total volume, language directions, recipient, document version and deadline. Mention confidentiality agreements and any required file-sharing procedure before sending sensitive material. Translation does not replace scientific or regulatory approval of the source or finished product information; allow time for the responsible team to review its content. You can browse related translation services and send your enquiry through the quote form.