In the pharmaceuticals sector, precision and accuracy are critical for patient safety, effective research and development cooperation, and regulatory compliance.
The same is true in pharmaceutical translations – specialist linguists and rigorous quality assurance measures are essential.
When mistakes are not an option, you can rely on our team of expert pharmaceutical translators and interpreters to produce accurate translations your documents.
Don’t just take our word for it…
BLS consistently provides timely and accurate translation services. We have been collaborating with them for a year now, and we are very pleased with the quality of their work.
Cresilon, Inc.
Our pharmaceutical translation services
We offer expert translation and interpreting services for a wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical industry, including:
Package Leaflets
Labels & Packaging
Pharmacovigilance Reports
Regulatory Documents
(e.g. SmPCs, CTDs, FSNs)
Clinical Trials
Marketing Materials
About Business Language Services
At Business Language Services (BLS), we are a linguist-led team specialising in compliance-grade language services for regulated industries, including technical, legal, medical and financial.
From our offices in Cardiff and Glasgow, we have been reliably providing translations of medical documents for clients across the UK and around the world for over 30 years.
All of our project managers are linguists themselves, so they have first-hand experience of what translators and interpreters need to produce the highest quality work.
Backed by ISO certifications and accreditation by leading industry bodies, we are committed to delivering the highest quality translation and interpreting services to meet your requirements and expectations every time.
Why work with a specialist pharmaceutical translation agency?
Compliance-grade accuracy and quality control
- Specialist linguists with industry expertise for error-free results every time
- Consistent use of approved, industry-standard terminology thanks to expert terminology management systems
- Three-stage translation, editing and proofreading process
- ISO9001 Quality Management certification
Technical expertise beyond the language
- Familiarity with regulatory requirements and approval processes
- Multilingual checks for numerical accuracy and consistency
- Tools to work with all file formats, ensuring compatibility with your systems
Linguist-led human service with 30+ years' experience
- Dedicated project manager will guide you through the entire process
- All project managers are trained linguists, meaning faster resolution of linguistic queries
- Proven track record – over 30 years of excellence
- In-house translators for common language pairs, allowing for rapid turnaround times
Certification for guaranteed acceptance
- Certification to prove accuracy to Notified Bodies, industry regulators, courts or government authorities
- All types of certification available:
- Certification
- Notarisation
- Legalisation (Apostille)
- Sworn (in-country)
Bespoke, end-to-end service packages
- Translation is not ‘one size fits all’ – tailored language solutions for your individual needs
- Full suite of post-translation services, e.g.:
- Terminology/glossary management
- Desktop publishing / typesetting
- Printing and binding
- Direct liaison with your in-country colleagues for translation approvals and query resolution, if required
Secure and confidential handling of files and data
- Secure client portal for seamless transfer of project files
- All linguists and project managers have signed strict NDAs, so your information remains confidential
- Project traceability and version control as standard, so you can easily request updates to previously translated materials
Pharmaceutical translation services in just four simple steps
1. Consultation & Quotation
Gather all necessary details (languages, formats, services) and provide a personalised quote tailored to the project.
2. Linguists' Briefing
Brief linguists on requirements, including stylistic and length considerations, and prepare for translation.
3. Translation, Editing & Proofreading
Expert linguists handle translation, editing, proofreading, and certification as per requested standards.
4. Delivery
We deliver the final files as a ready‑to‑use package and handle additional services like desktop publishing or printing, as needed.
Scientific experts deserve a specialist pharmaceutical language partner
Pharmaceutical companies rely on precise and often highly specialised wording in all of their documentation, whether this is for compliance with regulatory requirements, to ensure that clinicians and patients administer products safely and effectively, or to communicate a brand message to potential new customers and markets.
Partnering with a specialist pharmaceutical translation company guarantees the same level of precision and expertise when these materials are translated, ensuring that these same goals are achieved in every target language and market.
Pharmaceutical documents often include specialist medical terminology that only someone with sector-specific experience would fully understand, and this terminology is often required by auditors and regulatory bodies.
Non-specialist translators might use less specific or unapproved terminology, which can lead to translations being rejected by industry regulators, resulting in safety concerns, legal difficulties and reputational damage for your company.
We always hand-pick linguists based on their experience translating documents for the pharmaceutical industry, which combined with our rigorous three-stage quality assurance process, ensures that your documents are translated to the highest standards of accuracy every time.
All of our project managers are linguists themselves, so they have first-hand knowledge and experience of how a translator works and the information, tools and resources a linguist will need throughout the translation process to produce their best work. They are also familiar with the kinds of errors that linguists can make, and so are ideally placed to spot these when proofreading your translations before final delivery. This makes them a critical quality and risk control mechanism and facilitates rapid resolution of any linguistic queries you may have.
Consistent use of approved terminology across products and languages is essential in regulated industries. The same also applies to larger sections of text; if you are making updates to existing documents, it is neither necessary nor cost-effective to retranslate the entire document, and doing so inconsistently could cause confusion for the end users.
Our industry-leading translation software allows us to create personalised translation memories and multilingual glossaries of approved translations, as well as ensure that any updates overwrite older translations, guaranteeing consistency between projects and meaning that you will never pay to retranslate the same text twice.
Certain pharmaceuticals texts need to be submitted to notified bodies or international authorities such as the EMA or MHRA, which often means that their translations must be certified in order to be accepted. This confirms to the organisation receiving the translation that it is a true and accurate representation of the original document, that the linguist who completed the translation was competent and sufficiently qualified, and that the translation may be legally replied upon. We can provide all types of certification to ensure that your translations are accepted by the relevant authorities.
Our pharmaceutical and medical translation clients
We have been providing high quality pharmaceutical translations in the UK and around the world for over 30 years.
Don't just take our word for it…
Here is what some of our satisfied customers had to say about our pharmaceutical and medical translation services:
BLS consistently provides timely and accurate translation services. We have been collaborating with them for a year now, and we are very pleased with the quality of their work.
Cresilon, Inc.
We have been working with Business Language Services for the last two years on our project to update our Instructions for Use (multi-language version). There were 17 languages covered in this project and the services provided by this company have been excellent. Great communication, quick timeline and flexibility to suit our needs.
Safeguard Medical
We have been very satisfied with the professionalism, expertise, and efficiency of the Business Language Services team throughout several projects and would not hesitate to use their services again in the future.
Cardiff Fertility Studies Research Group
Get started with your compliance-grade pharmaceutical translation today
To find out more about how we can support you with end-to-end translation solutions, speak to one of our friendly team today.
Frequently asked questions
Why are specialist pharmaceutical translation companies preferred over generalists?
Only linguists who have experience producing medical and pharmaceutical translations will have knowledge of the unique and often legally required terminology and writing conventions in these industries, and so will be able to ensure that the translations are compliant with local regulations for their language and market.
How much do pharmaceutical translation services cost?
Pharmaceutical translation costs start from around £60–£80 + VAT, depending on the language pair. This usually covers up to approx. 500 words; thereafter, the cost is based on the number of words, with rates between £0.12 and £0.22 per source word for most language pairs.
Please get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote tailored to your project’s requirements.
How long do pharmaceutical translations take?
Pharmaceutical and medical translation services are highly specialised and the potential consequences of any inaccuracies are significant, so high-quality translation is typically prioritised over speed. On average, our teams can translate, revise and proofread around 1,500–2,000 words per working day. Expedited turnaround is usually possible if required, either by splitting the work between multiple linguists or, if appropriate, employing AI systems for the initial translation. We will always indicate the expected turnaround time for your translation project as part of your personalised quote.
What are the risks of poor-quality pharmaceutical translations?
Poor-quality pharmaceutical translations can lead to many serious consequences. For example, numerical or terminological inconsistencies can delay treatments and potentially result in harm to patients or clinicians due to incorrect dosage or usage methods. Additionally, if regulatory requirements are not followed, manufacturers can face legal issues and risk their products being withdrawn from the market.
Can pharmaceutical translations be certified or audited for regulatory use?
Yes. Regulatory bodies such as the EMA and MHRA often require certified translations of pharmaceutical documents to prove that they are accurate representations of the originals. This typically involves the translator or a representative of the translation agency signing a legally-binding declaration that bears a stamp from a recognised translation industry organisation, such as the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) or Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) – we are a member of both of these institutions. Translations may also be notarised or legalised (also known as apostilled) in certain circumstances, but this is not normally needed except in the most sensitive legal situations.