Background <p>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.</p> Methods <p>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.</p> Results <p>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.</p> Conclusions <p>The introduction of VR applications for aseptic preparation training, which involves complex procedures, suggests that VR-based learning may be more effective than traditional text-based methods in helping students understand procedural workflows and improve operational fluency. These findings indicate that VR technology may serve as a useful educational tool in practical pharmacy training. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings.</p> Trial registration <p>Not applicable</p>