Background Few studies have been conducted regarding the effects of vacuum on medications and their packaging. While relevant on the International Space Station, understanding these effects becomes even more critical as future NASA missions venture farther away from Earth. Vehicles supporting the Artemis missions will have dedicated, vehicle-specific medical kits as well as crew medical accessory kits. Although most of the kits will be stored in a pressurized, climate-controlled volume, there are specific scenarios in which they may become exposed to vacuum. These include the vehicle being brought to vacuum to enable clearance of atmospheric contaminants, and on Human Landing System (HLS), in the airlock (in which kits may be stored) during extravehicular activities. Overview The Exploration Medical Integrated Product Team (XMIPT) in collaboration with the Department of Defense is conducting a pilot study to assess the effects of vacuum on the medications and their packaging to be used in exploration missions. Phase A of this study will focus on manufacturer’s package integrity and Phase B on identifying chemical changes through active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) testing of the medications at 0, 4.5 and 9 months post exposure. Two exposure durations, 1 hour and 8 hours were selected to represent the expected time at vacuum for an Orion contaminated atmosphere vent/repress and the time at vacuum for a lunar surface EVA. The medications for this study were identified based on those currently being considered for future Artemis missions and represent the types of pharmaceuticals and formulations that are likely to comprise an exploration formulary. Discussion The results from this pilot study will aid in decision making related to the development of medical kits, medication packaging and stowage for long duration lunar and Mars missions, and inform the direction of future medication in vacuum studies.