A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-Based and Text-Based Training in Sterile Preparation: Pilot Trial of Early-Stage Clinical VR Study

· Background: This study is a pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) applications in retraining sterile preparation techniques for injectable medications. Specifically, it focused on comparing VR-based learning with conventional text-based learning and objectively assessing students' acquisition of practical skills using standardized evaluation criteria. · Methods: Seventeen pharmacy students voluntarily participated in the study and were divided into two groups: one using a VR application for learning and the other using text-based materials. Immediately after training with their respective tools, students' aseptic preparation skills were assessed using standardized criteria (including 29 individual evaluation checkpoints) and a 5-point overall rating scale. · Results: Students who used the VR application completed tasks in a shorter time and scored higher on evaluation criteria such as operational smoothness and drug dissolution within vials. Additionally, multiple assessment items, including “Fill the aseptic smoothly and evenly, without stopping in the middle of the process,” were strongly correlated with the overall practical performance ratings of the VR group. · Conclusions: The introduction of VR applications for aseptic preparation training, which requires complex processes, suggests that VR-based learning is more effective than traditional text-based methods in helping students master procedural workflows and improving operational fluency. These findings suggest that incorporating VR technology may enhance the quality of practical pharmacy education. Additional advancements in pharmacy education incorporating VR technology are expected in the future. · Trial registration: Not applicable