OBJECTIVES:
Do medications used during space flights work the same as they do on Earth? This single question underlies most of the unknowns within the Concern of Clinically Relevant Unpredicted Effects of Medication. During space flight, the body undergoes a number of physiological changes that are expected to result in altered interactions with administered medications, but it is not yet known if, or to what extent, these actually occur. The potential for therapeutically relevant alteration in either pharmacokinetics (how the body handles administered medications) or pharmacodynamics (how administered medications act upon the body) has been a concern discussed by the Pharmacology Standing Review Panel every year since 2010. This study was a step toward addressing this issue via detailed examination of all data that can be compiled from existing sources.

Specific Aim:
To use existing medication usage data from all long-duration crew to elucidate if 1) data suggest inflight pharmacokinetic changes; 2) data suggest inflight pharmacodynamic changes; and 3) if there are unusual side effects inflight.

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Crew health and performance is critical to successful human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The Human Research Program (HRP) investigates and mitigates the highest risks to human health and performance, providing essential countermeasures and technologies for human space exploration. Risks include physiological and performance effects from hazards such as radiation, altered gravity, and hostile environments, as well as unique challenges in medical support, human factors, and behavioral health support. The HRP utilizes an Integrated Research Plan (IRP) to identify the approach and research activities planned to address these risks, which are assigned to specific Elements within the program. The Human Research Roadmap is the web-based tool for communicating the IRP content.

The Human Research Roadmap is located at: https://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/