Tagalog label on medicines proposed

A congressman has proposed that drug companies put Filipino translations of the descriptions of drugs or even the generic names, if possible, on labels and packages of drugs to enable ordinary consumers to buy the correct and cheapest medicine they need.

Rep. Antonio Alvarez, chairman of the House committee on trade and industry conducting public hearings on House Bill 001 or the Cheaper Medicine Act, said the multinational drug companies should add a Filipino translation or subtitle of the medical terms so the people can understand what they are buying.

He said the intent is not to translate the generic name of medicines into Tagalog because the intention is not to create a Tagalog drug dictionary, but to indicate in the local language what a drug is meant for.

“Putting subtitles for what these drugs are for will do. Like Strepsils, they don’t have to translate its generic name dichorobenzyl alcohol amylmetacresol. But it is possible to translate what’s the usage of the medicine,” he suggested.

In a statement, Alvarez said he does not buy the idea that Filipino labeling would result in higher prices of drugs since it will just be a small addition to the advertising budget of drug firms.

He cited the words analgesic or antipyretic which are written on packages of anti-fever tablets.

These common but hard to understand medical terms should have Filipino translations. – Delon Porcalla