In the first article of this mini-series, we examined two of the most common errors that occur in medical translations, talking about errors in terminology and cultural adaptation. Today, we will close the topic by discussing three other dangerous errors that must be avoided in professional pharmaceutical translations: syntax errors, those related to the use of machine translation systems, and those having to do with drug safety information.
Correct syntax and appropriate style are important issues not only in a literary text: they are crucial in pharmaceutical translations. A syntax error can alter the meaning of a sentence or concept, leading to a misinterpretation of medical information; in much the same way, an incorrect translation style can make the text so difficult to understand and read that it leads to an overall misunderstanding of its meaning. In pharmaceutical translations, it is essential to be able to follow the linguistic conventions of the source text and at the same time know how to respect the appropriate linguistic register for the target audience: to give an example, the translation of a scientific text for health professionals requires a technical style, while the translation of a drug leaflet for patients requires a style that must be just as precise in providing information, but at the same time much clearer and more accessible to an audience that has no expertise in the medical field.
Correct syntax and appropriate style are in fact particularly important in pharmaceutical translations, as these must be comprehensible for health professionals and patients alike. A syntax error can cause confusion or make it difficult to understand vital instructions, dosages or safety precautions, whether for an over-the-counter drug that is taken independently by the patient or for a specialist product, the use of which is reserved for a doctor.
Trying to argue that machine translation systems for pharmaceutical translations are useless, or worse harmful, is illogical and absurd. Today, machine translation software is a practically indispensable tool for managing the often enormous amount of work involved in medical translation within the required timeframe. What is crucial to understand, however, is that at least for the present - and as far as we can see, also for the near future - no machine translation system, not even one based on artificial intelligence algorithms, is yet able to guarantee the accuracy and consistency required in the pharmaceutical sector on its own. Machine translation can generate errors in terminology, syntax, cultural adaptation and style, as it does not take into account the context and specificity of the pharmaceutical sector.
This in no way implies a rejection of the use of this tool or a failure to recognise the significant progress that has been made in this area in recent years; the fact remains, however, that the work done by machine translation must still and always, especially in the field of medical translations, be followed by a careful professional post-editing phase that can only be entrusted to professional translators specialised in the field. This accuracy is indispensable in order to avoid costly errors (with serious consequences) and to ensure reliable, accurate and regulatory-compliant pharmaceutical translations.
The correct translation of drug safety information is vital for the health of patients: the consequences of any errors in the translation of therapeutic indications, contraindications, side effects or instructions for use can be very serious, even fatal. A translation error in this information may in fact lead to the wrong use of the drug, perhaps without respecting its contraindications, or to overdosing: worse still, it may make the patient or the prescribing doctor unaware of the risk of adverse reactions, or perhaps dangerous interactions with other drugs already in use. The only defence against this risk is the continuous training of professional translators specialising in medicine, who must keep abreast of the latest discoveries in the pharmaceutical field and current regulations; in addition to this, of course, a control review of all translated medical documents by a second professional is always necessary.
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