An apparatus for the storage of a vial for medical or pharmaceutical applications together with a vial adapter and for the transfer of a liquid out of and/or into the vial via the vial adapter , the apparatus comprising a vial and a vial adapter , said vial comprising a cylindrical vial body with a closed bottom at a first end and a narrow neck with a wider edge defining a filling opening at a second end opposite to the first end, which is sealed by a stopper , and said vial adapter comprising a coupling body configured to be locked to the second end of the vial and a piercing mandrel configured to pierce the stopper of the vial for the transfer of the liquid out of and/or into the vial in a transfer position, said apparatus further comprising: a tray member having a vial cavity and a vial adapter cavity , wherein the vial is accommodated in the vial cavity , the vial adapter is accommodated in the vial adapter cavity or in a vial adapter storage cavity , and the vial adapter cavity and the vial cavity each comprises retaining members (19; 17, 22, 25; 37a, 37b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b), which are formed integrally with a side-wall of the vial cavity and vial adapter cavity , respectively, wherein the vial adapter and the vial are positioned by the retaining members (19; 17, 22, 25; 37a, 37b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b) in an intermediate position, in which the vial adapter is positioned in a fixed position and predetermined orientation while the vial is positioned spaced apart from the vial adapter so that the piercing mandrel does not contact the vial stopper and in axial alignment with the vial adapter , and the retaining members (19; 17, 22, 25; 37a, 37b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b) are configured to guide a relative movement of the vial and vial adapter from the intermediate position to a transfer position while maintaining the axial alignment of the vial and vial adapter with each other, wherein the piercing mandrel pierces the stopper of the vial in said transfer position for the transfer of the liquid out of and/or into the vial via the vial adapter , wherein the tray member comprises a planar upper surface encircling the vial cavity and vial adapter cavity , the vial cavity and vial adapter cavity is each open toward the planar upper surface . a tray member having a vial cavity and a vial adapter cavity , wherein the vial is accommodated in the vial cavity , the vial adapter is accommodated in the vial adapter cavity or in a vial adapter storage cavity , and the vial adapter cavity and the vial cavity each comprises retaining members (19; 17, 22, 25; 37a, 37b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b), which are formed integrally with a side-wall of the vial cavity and vial adapter cavity , respectively, wherein the vial adapter and the vial are positioned by the retaining members (19; 17, 22, 25; 37a, 37b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b) in an intermediate position, in which the vial adapter is positioned in a fixed position and predetermined orientation while the vial is positioned spaced apart from the vial adapter so that the piercing mandrel does not contact the vial stopper and in axial alignment with the vial adapter , and the retaining members (19; 17, 22, 25; 37a, 37b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b) are configured to guide a relative movement of the vial and vial adapter from the intermediate position to a transfer position while maintaining the axial alignment of the vial and vial adapter with each other, wherein the piercing mandrel pierces the stopper of the vial in said transfer position for the transfer of the liquid out of and/or into the vial via the vial adapter , wherein the tray member comprises a planar upper surface encircling the vial cavity and vial adapter cavity , the vial cavity and vial adapter cavity is each open toward the planar upper surface . <EOS>