Introduction
Please send all inquiries to information@groupetraduction.ca.
In 1981, a group of translators working within Toronto area pharmaceutical companies began to meet on a regular basis to discuss terminology problems and other relevant issues. In the Montreal region — the other main Canadian location chosen as a base of operations by pharma companies — the first meetings were organized in 1986 by the Office de la langue française. Initially, both groups operated on an informal basis. In February 1989, however, under the name Association des traducteurs de l'industrie pharmaceutique, the groups submitted a joint request for affiliation with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada (PMAC). A few months later, the PMAC Directors recognized the group as a self-sufficient part of its Marketing Section.
The PMAC Translation Group members decided to limit membership to translators working within PMAC member companies. In 1999, the PMAC became Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, or Rx&D. The Rx&D Association is a group of about fifty pharmaceutical companies with Head Offices located mostly in the Montreal and Toronto regions. In many cases, these companies are the Canadian arms of multinational organizations. The Translation Group also included translators from The Council for the Accreditation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Representatives of Canada, now called the Council for Continuing Pharmaceutical Education (CCPE). The CCPE is a non-profit organization that develops and manages a health sciences educational program for Canadian pharmaceutical companies.
Presently, the Translation Group – Rx&D has two sections – one in Toronto and the other in Montreal. Each of them organizes meetings on a regular basis and the entire Group meets twice a year in one city or the other. These semi-annual meetings have an administrative component for the translation department heads of represented companies, and an educational component that other members and freelancers may attend.
Currently, fifteen or so Rx&D member companies have a translation department, comprising of about a hundred language professionals in total, and are represented within the Translation Group – Rx&D. The companies represented are: Abbott Laboratories, Limited; AstraZeneca Canada Inc.; Bayer inc.; Berlex Canada Inc .; Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.; Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada; Eli Lilly Canada Inc.; GlaxoSmithKline; Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.; Janssen-Ortho Inc.; McNeil Consumer Healthcare; Merck Frosst Canada; Pfizer Canada Inc.; Sanofi-Aventis; Schering Canada Inc.; Wyeth Canada Inc.; Council for Continuing Pharmaceutical Education .
These Translation Departments have headcounts of between one and fifteen people and usually handle documents of variable content, complexity and length, either internally or by enlisting the help of external suppliers. Many of the translators are members of a professional association (Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec, Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario, American Translators Association, etc.).
Since 1990, the Group has been publishing a quarterly terminology bulletin called Pharmaterm*. Each issue usually addresses an industry-specific terminology problem and is written by a person who is familiar with the topic covered, then reviewed by a terminology committee. Until recently, the bulletin was available through subscription only, but is now posted free of charge on the Group's website. Every published issue, along with a cumulative index, can be found on the www.groupetraduction.ca website. Recent topics covered include tablet manufacturing defects; classification of joints; and the “synonyms” compliance , adherence and persistence.
The website also provides general information on the Group's mission and statutes, useful links, a “Jobs” section listing positions available within the member companies, as well as a Resources section listing various relevant documents.
Throughout the year, the Group offers training sessions on medical terminology, linguistic issues, health or areas of general interest. The Group also organized the Conférence sur la traduction médico-pharmaceutique au Canada (Conference on medico-pharmaceutical translation in Canada), held at the Université de Montréal on May 8 th, 2006. Approximately 250 people attended the Conference, including translators, students, professors, healthcare professionals, journalists and other interested parties. The conference gave an overview of this specialized translation field, as practiced in pharmaceutical companies, translation agencies, government offices, universities, etc. This was an excellent opportunity for all participants to raise awareness and network.
The Group supports university programs in translation by welcoming student trainees within its Linguistic Services or Translation Departments. It sits on the Comité québécois d'étude du français médical (Quebec Committee for the Study of French Medical Language), takes a close interest in the activities of the Office québécois de la langue française and participated in the preparation of an OQLF booklet entitled Termes de gestion des soins de santé .
The mission of The Translation Group – Rx&D is to promote high standards of quality in French communications within Canadian pharmaceutical companies. The Group is proud of its accomplishments to that end.
Please send all inquiries to information@groupetraduction.ca.
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