World Pharmacists Day is on 25 September. It is a good day to clear up a confusion that comes up often when people talk about virtual reality in healthcare.
We say RVer is a non-pharmacological and complementary intervention. Some people hear that as a criticism of medication — as if the aim were to take pills away from someone. It is not.
Complementary means alongside
"Non-pharmacological" describes what the thing is: an activity, not a substance. "Complementary" describes where it sits: alongside the treatment plan, not in its place.
No virtual reality session justifies changing a prescription. That decision is medical, and it stays medical. What a session can do is fill a space in the person's day that medication does not fill — a meaningful activity — without touching what has already been decided.
The pharmacist's questions
Anyone working with older adults knows polypharmacy: many people take several medicines a day, prescribed over the years. Some have effects that matter directly to a virtual reality session.
Do any medicines cause dizziness? Someone prone to dizziness may feel worse inside a headset. The session is done seated or lying down, with calmer content, and the team stays attentive.
Do any medicines cause drowsiness? Then the time of the session matters. Booking it straight after a dose that makes someone sleepy is booking a session that will not go well.
Have there been recent changes? A change in medication over the past few days is a good reason for the team to look more carefully at the next session.
None of these questions is for the VR team to answer alone. They are questions for the pharmacist and the doctor — which is exactly why it is worth involving them.
An ally, not an opponent
The pharmacist who supports a care home or a service knows each person's medication list better than anyone. Involving them in how sessions are run is not bureaucracy: it puts one more person in the room who knows what could go wrong.