EXPERT COURSE

Pharmacology for Translators and Interpreters (II Edition)

Pharmaceuticals account for one of the largest sectors in the translation and localization market, and no wonder. 

All these research and development, approval and marketing of new medications generate tons of documentation and content. Whether you already work with pharmaceutical materials as a translator or consider adding this field to your portfolio, the cornerstone to pharmaceutical translation is pharmacology.

Pharmacology studies what happens to medicaltions in human body and which effects the medications produce (do not confuse it with pharmacy, the entire range of pharmaceutical disciplines).

If you are starting out as a medical translator, pharmacology provides an excellent foundation. A strong grasp of pharmacology will help you translate prescribing information (drug labels), clinical trials documents, scientific publications, website articles, educational and promotional materials.

For experienced medical translators, this course will help organize your knowledge of drug products, refresh your terminology, and deepen your understanding of specific details.

Translators encounter pharmacological content in the following projects:

·       Clinical trial documents, such as investigator’s brochure

·       Non-clinical trial documents

·       Summaries of product characteristics (SPC)

·       Patient information leaflets (PIL)

·       Scientific publications

·       Educational materials for doctors and patients

·       Promotional materials for doctors and patients


The course concentrates on general pharmacology, rather than specific drug classes. Rest assured, the knowledge gained here will enable you to understand any drug you encounter.

Conditions: Please read our course and subscription plans terms and conditions carefully. With your registration, you confirm that you have read, understood and accepted our conditions and agree with them. 

If you have any questions, please visit the FAQ section (for courses or subscription plans) or get in touch with us.

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  • This course includes:
  • Expert coach:
    Ekaterina Chashnikova, pharmacist, medical translator and writer with over 15 years of experience.

    Ekaterina delivered webinars about pharmacology in Alexandria Library in 2015 and in Alliance Pro School of Specialized Translators from 2016 to 2020.
  •  Interactive activities
  •  Life access to contents 
  •   Downloadable course program
  •  In English with multilingual resources
  •  Completion certificate
  •  Money back guarantee
  • Acquire A-Z knowledge of pharmacology and get prepared for real-life projects
  • When: 17-28 March 2025 (2 h/day) at 18.00 CET
  • Duration: 20 h approx.

Course and coach description

Dive into pharmacology with our comprehensive course. For beginners, it lays the groundwork for a successful career in medical translation.
For experienced translators, it offers a chance to refine your current knowledge, update critical terminology, and delve into finer aspects of how medications work.

The course will span over 2 weeks and include 10 webinars:
Day 1. Introduction, basic terms and concepts
Day 2. Absorption
Day 3. Distribution
Day 4. Metabolism
Day 5. Excretion
Day 6. Bioequivalence
Day 7. Dosing
Day 8. Pharmacological effects and efficacy
Day 9. Toxicity and safety
Day 10. SmPC and PIL: translation challenges and resources
All concepts and terms will be presented from a translator’s perspective to help you use this knowledge in real-life projects.

You will have the opportunity to build a glossary using trusted multilingual resources recommended by Ekaterina.
All lessons will include short exercises to enhance your learning experience and Q&A sessions.
Introduction
(sessions 1 & 2)
Pharmacokinetics
(sessions 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7)
Pharmacodynamics
(sessions 8 & 9)
Translating SmPC and PIL
(session 10)

Introduction & Dosing

Session 1. Introduction

1.1 What is pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics
1.2 Basic terms
1.3 Classifications of drug products
1.4 Life cycle of a drug product

Session 2. Dosing

2.1 Dosage forms
2.2 Methods of administration
2.3 Dose, dosage, dosing regimen, types of doses

Pharmacokinetics & bioequivalence

Session 3. Absorption

3.1 Absorption mechanisms
3.2 Routes of administration 
3.3 Bioavailability
3.4 Pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions

Session 4. Distribution

4.1 Terms and definitions
4.2 Depot
4.3 Protein binding
4.4 Distribution models

Session 5. Metabolism

5.1 Types of biotransformation
5.2 Phases of metabolism
5.3 Liver enzymes
5.4 Rates of metabolism
5.5 Prodrugs

Session 6. Excretion

6.1 Excretion vs. elimination
6.2 Mechanisms
6.3 Clearance

Session 7. Bioequivalence

7.1 Pharmacokinetic profile
7.2 Types of equivalence
7.3 Bioequivalence studies & regulations

Pharmacodynamics

Session 8

8.1 Mechanism of action
8.2 Pharmacological effects
8.3 Pharmacodynamic drug-drug interactions
8.4 Dose-effect curves

Session 9. Toxicity and safety

9.1 Types of toxicity
9.2 Safety profile
9.3 Special groups of patients

Translating SmPC and PIL: challenges, typical mistakes, and resources

Session 10

10.1 SmPC
10.2 PIL
10.3 Regulations
10.4 Multilingual resources
Meet

Ekaterina Chashnikova

Ekaterina is a medical translator for the combination English-Russian and a medical writer.

At the 4th year of pharmacy school, she started translating medical publications to earn some money and fell in love with translation. She later studied linguistics and translation in a 2-year university program for specialized translators.

She worked for 2,5 years as a project manager in translation agencies and became a freelancer by the end of 2010. She currently works as a writer in a medical communications agency and as a translator for pharmaceutical companies and translation agencies.

Ekaterina moderated a medical writing track at a ChatGPT hackathon in April 2023 and continues to explore and find practical uses of LLMs.

Over the years, she spoke at translation conferences and kept a blog about medical and pharmaceutical translation. She continues sharing her knowledge and expertise and is building a community of medical translators and writers around mymedpharm.info, a hub of internet resources and knowledge.

Last but not least, Ekaterina does volunteer translations and revisions for “Future actually”.
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