Update published of nearly 5 000 substances used in medicinal products: list in Latvian, Latin and English

Update published of nearly 5 000 substances used in medicinal products: list in Latvian, Latin and English

The State Agency of Medicines (SAM) has prepared and published an updated list containing names of active substances and excipients in Latvian, Latin and English, thus, providing a more accurate and complete clarification of pharmaceutical terms. The list contains nearly 5 000 names and it is available in the Section "Names of substances used in medicines in Latvian, Latin, English" of the SAM website.

Doctors, pharmacists, medicines manufacturers, marketing authorisation holders, translators and anyone interested are invited to use the list and the search options incorporated in it to clarify the accurate names of active substances and excipients used in medicinal products, as well as medicinal herbs.

The list contains mainly international non-proprietary names (INN) of substances. In case there is no non-proprietary name (INN) of substances the name included in the European Pharmacopoeia or the common name of the substance is indicated.

More than 9 000 names of substances and as well as almost 3 000 Latvian, Latin and English names of active substances included in the list prepared in 2011 were collected, compared and analysed to update list of substances. Outdated and duplicated names were removed and only the accurate and updated names of active substances remained. Various important resources and publications were used in the preparation of the list, including the INN lists prepard by the World Health Organization, European Pharmacopoeia, internet resources and other sources of information.

The team of professionals from the field of pharmaceutics and linguistics participated in the preparation of the list – professor Maris Baltins, Director of State Language Center, professor Vija Enina, Dr.chem. Felikss Grunsbergs, Senior Expert on chemical inventions issues of the Department of Examination of Inventions of the Patent office of the Republic of Latvia, Inguna Adovica, Director of SAM, and SAM employees - chemists and pharmacists: Ingrida Biedre, Andis Seilis, Kristine Ondrupe-Kirilova, Maris Kodols, Lidija Makarova, Dace Kalke, Ilze Kalve, Janis Kurlovics and Dace Peiseniece. In addition, associate professor Ilze Barene (currently Head of the Department of Dosage Form Technology of Riga Stradins University) and SAM employee and pharmacist Ruta Jasote participated in the preparation of the list in 2011.

Read more about the development and traditions of pharmaceutical terminology in the publication by prof. Maris Baltins ”Par farmācijas nozares terminoloģijas īpatnībām” (in Latvian).

We hope that the list will provide useful information to anyone interested.