How to Translate Medication Names and Doses for Foreign Pharmacies

Traveling abroad with prescription meds isn’t just about packing your bottle. It’s about making sure the pharmacy in Tokyo, Paris, or Dubai can read it-and give you the right pills. A lot of people assume Google Translate will do the job. It won’t. Misreading a dosage or confusing a brand name can land you in the ER. I’ve seen it happen: a traveler in Berlin got the wrong strength of blood pressure pills because the label said "10 mg" but the pharmacist thought it was "100 mg". That’s not a typo. That’s a translation failure.

Why Medication Names Vary by Country

The same drug can have five different names depending on where you are. Take ibuprofen. In the U.S., you buy it as Advil or Motrin. In France, it’s Ibuprofène. In Poland, it’s Abfen. In Australia, it’s just ibuprofen on the box. The active ingredient is identical, but the brand name? Totally different. That’s why you can’t just show a pharmacist your American bottle and expect them to hand you the same thing.

Even worse, some names sound almost the same but are completely different drugs. Ambyen (used for heart rhythm issues in the UK) and Ambien (a sleep aid in the U.S.) look nearly identical. Mix them up? You could end up sedated when you need your heart stabilized. The World Health Organization created the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) system to fix this-ibuprofen, metformin, lisinopril are the global generic names. But pharmacies still use local brand names. If you don’t know the INN, you’re flying blind.

Dosage Confusion Is a Silent Killer

Dosage formats vary wildly. In the U.S., pills are often labeled in milligrams (mg). In some countries, they use grams (g), micrograms (mcg), or even units (U). A prescription that says "1g" could mean 1 gram (1000 mg) or 1 milligram, depending on how it’s written. One Reddit user shared how a Spanish prescription for "1g" was misread as 1 gram instead of 1000 mg. The patient thought they were getting a weaker dose. They weren’t. They were getting the full dose-but thought they were underdosing. That’s the kind of mistake that leads to overdoses or treatment failure.

Pills also come in different shapes and sizes. A 500 mg tablet in the U.S. might look like a tiny white pill. In Mexico, the same strength could be a large, colored capsule. If you don’t know what the real pill looks like, you might refuse to take it because it doesn’t match your memory. Pharmacists abroad don’t always know your original brand. They need the active ingredient and the exact dose.

What You Need to Bring Before You Travel

Don’t wait until you’re out of pills in a foreign city. Here’s what to pack:

• Your original prescription-with the doctor’s signature and pharmacy stamp.
• A written list of every medication: generic name, brand name, strength, dosage (e.g., "Ibuprofen 400 mg, take one tablet twice daily"), and purpose (e.g., "for arthritis pain").
• Physical copies of pill bottles-take photos of the label, too. Include the manufacturer and lot number if possible.
• The INN-look up your drug’s international generic name on the WHO website or Drugs.com. Write it down.
• A letter from your doctor explaining why you need the meds. This helps if customs asks questions.

This isn’t overkill. It’s survival. One traveler in Vietnam ran out of her thyroid medication. She had the bottle, the prescription, and a handwritten note with the INN: levothyroxine. The local pharmacist matched it instantly. She didn’t miss a dose.

How Foreign Pharmacies Actually Translate Prescriptions

Most large pharmacies in tourist-heavy cities-Dubai, Bangkok, London, Berlin-have staff trained in basic medication translation. But don’t assume they know your language. Instead, give them your written list and ask: "Can you match this to your local version?"

Professional pharmacy translation services like RxTran and Stepes use databases that link over 150 country-specific brand names to their INN equivalents. These systems don’t just translate words-they cross-reference active ingredients, dosages, and regulatory rules. For example, if you have a U.S. prescription for "Lisinopril 20 mg", their system knows that in Italy it’s "Lisinopril Sandoz 20 mg", in Canada it’s "Zestril 20 mg", and in Japan it’s "リシノプリル 20 mg".

Pharmacies that use these systems can print labels in the local language with warnings like "May cause dizziness" or "Take with food". They also flag interactions. If you’re on warfarin and the local pharmacy tries to give you a cold medicine with pseudoephedrine, their system will alert them. General translation tools like Google Translate can’t do that.

Why Google Translate and Apps Fail

Google Translate, DeepL, or even AI chatbots? They’re dangerous here. They don’t understand medical context. Translate "Take one tablet by mouth twice daily" into Spanish? It might come out as "Tome una pastilla por la boca dos veces al día"-which sounds right. But if the original said "Take one tablet of 500 mg by mouth twice daily" and the AI drops the "500 mg", you’re in trouble.

A 2022 study of international healthcare providers found that 68% had seen patients given the wrong dose because of poor translation. In one case, a Chinese patient was told to take "0.5 tablet"-but the translator didn’t know that in China, "0.5" meant half a tablet, while in the U.S., it meant 0.5 mg. The patient took the whole tablet and ended up in the hospital.

AI tools also don’t know about country-specific regulations. In the U.S., you can buy 200 mg ibuprofen over the counter. In Germany, you need a prescription for anything over 400 mg. A translator that doesn’t know that could give you the wrong advice.

What to Do If You Can’t Find Your Medication

Sometimes, your exact brand isn’t available. That’s okay. You don’t need the same box. You need the same active ingredient and dose.

Use Drugs.com’s international drug lookup tool. Type in your U.S. brand name-it’ll show you equivalents in over 30 countries. For example:

• Advil (U.S.) → Ibuprofène (France), Nurofen (UK), Ibuprom (Poland)
• Lexapro (U.S.) → Escitalopram (global INN), Cipralex (Canada), Seropram (Australia)
• Metformin (U.S.) → Glucophage (global brand), Glucophage XR (extended release)

If the local pharmacy says they don’t have it, ask: "What is the generic name?" Then check your list. If it matches, they can fill it. Most countries allow generic substitution. If they refuse, ask to speak to the pharmacist directly. Not the clerk.

Regulations You Can’t Ignore

Some countries require translated labels by law. In New York, pharmacies must provide labels in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Italian if those are the top languages spoken locally. California is expanding to 15 languages. In the EU, all prescription labels must include the INN and dosage in the local language.

If you’re bringing meds into a country, check their customs rules. Some ban common U.S. drugs. For example, the U.S. version of pseudoephedrine (in cold meds) is illegal in Japan and Thailand. Even if it’s for personal use, you can get arrested. Always check the embassy website.

When to Use a Professional Translation Service

If you’re on a complex regimen-multiple drugs, high-risk meds like blood thinners, insulin, or epilepsy drugs-don’t gamble. Use a certified medical translation service. RxTran, Stepes, and First Databank offer secure, HIPAA-compliant translation with pharmacist review. They don’t just translate words. They verify dosage math, check for interactions, and confirm regulatory compliance.

These services cost money-starting around $3,500 a year for pharmacies-but for travelers, it’s worth it to pay $25 to have your prescription translated before you leave. Some travel insurance companies offer it as a free add-on. Ask.

Final Checklist Before You Fly

• ☐ Bring 3x more pills than you think you’ll need
• ☐ Write down the INN for every medication
• ☐ Note the exact dose and frequency (e.g., "5 mg once daily")
• ☐ Carry your original prescription and doctor’s letter
• ☐ Take photos of every pill bottle
• ☐ Know the local name of your drug in your destination country
• ☐ Check if your meds are legal in that country
• ☐ Save a contact for a local pharmacy in your destination

This isn’t about being paranoid. It’s about being prepared. Medication errors kill more people than car accidents in some countries. You wouldn’t drive a foreign car without knowing how the brakes work. Don’t take foreign meds without knowing how the label works.