Development of a Virtual Medication Horror Room (VMHR) for Medication Safety Training

Medication safety in non-pharmacy storage areas (NPSAs) presents significant challenges in iden-tifying and mitigating potential hazards and errors. Traditional training methods often lack standardization and situational awareness training. This study describes an in-house developed Virtual Medication Horror Room (VMHR) as an innovative educational training program to en-hance medication safety awareness through interactive learning. VMHR simulates medication “horrors” in NPSAs, such as the wards and clinics, through interactive and realistic 360-degree video environments. Participants navigate scenarios from a first-person perspective, identifying hazards/errors through interactive elements. A pilot study with 33 healthcare learners assessed knowledge improvements via pre- and post-program quizzes and evaluated user perceptions and experience using the Technology Acceptance Model. Results showed a significant increase in quiz scores (pre-scores 58.7±9.0% versus post-scores 68.6±10.3%, p< 0.001), high perceived trust of the technology platform (5.55±0.81) and perceived usefulness of the program (5.44±0.87). Exploratory factor analyses indicated that perceived usefulness (0.743), perceived playfulness (0.828), per-ceived enjoyment (0.775) and perceived compatibility (0.835) were important drivers of behavior-al intention to use VMHR for learning. In conclusion, VMHR is an engaging educational tool for enhancing medication safety awareness among healthcare learners, providing a standardized technology-enhanced approach to medication safety education in a safe, authentic learning envi-ronment.