The Virtual Reality of Modern Pharma Sales and Marketing

While some may have oversold the technology in recent years, virtual reality (VR) is still a growing industry. Society hasn’t moved to a fully virtual metaverse yet, but many industries are finding new and useful ways to incorporate it into their workflows. Heather Gervais is CEO of Osso VR, where she’s working to prove VR’s usefulness in pharmaceutical marketing and sales. In the following Q&A, she spoke with Pharmaceutical Executive about the technology’s ability to overcome some of the unique challenges that pharma sales reps face today.

Heather Gervais

PE: How can VR benefit educational elements of marketing?

Heather Gervais: By merging innovation with practicality, VR is redefining how patients and clinicians approach at-home treatment and care.

There’s truly no substitute for hands-on learning when it comes to building confidence and ensuring patients fully understand their treatment responsibilities at home. VR’s power to convey key messages through interactive experiences captures attention, encourages active participation, and drives better understanding and adherence—vital objectives in any pharma treatment. Through realistic training simulations, patients and caregivers develop the critical skills required to follow necessary protocols, improving compliance, and reducing the risk of errors—like mixing medications incorrectly or missing steps—that can lead to treatment failure.

This technology also delves deeper into what care means and plays a key role in helping clinicians build empathy by simulating patient symptoms. For instance, experiencing the effects of multiple sclerosis or partial blindness offers healthcare providers first-hand insight into the challenges patients face, ultimately leading to more compassion for those we treat.

PE: How does VR simplify the sales process?

Gervais: Pharma sales teams provide the critical momentum that brings cutting-edge therapies to market in a hands-on, impactful way. It is essential to provide these teams with the right tools to engage providers meaningfully. Beyond educating teams on new products, VR headsets and modules can now be used during office visits, much like tablets are today. The key difference? With VR, providers don’t just see the product—they get to experience it, leading to deeper understanding and engagement.

VR also streamlines the sales process, granting teams access to highly visual, interactive materials anytime, anywhere, using only a standard VR headset. Gone are the days of hauling demo equipment or complex setups; now, sales reps can deliver immersive and memorable presentations in any setting. By offering a dynamic experience, VR helps sales teams communicate value more effectively and close deals with greater confidence.

PE: How easy is it for healthcare professionals and those in the pharma industry to access VR technology?

Gervais: VR hardware is rapidly evolving to become remarkably accessible. Modern standalone headsets, such as Meta’s Quest series, have removed the need for tethered setups or high-powered laptops, delivering impressive processing power, high-fidelity visuals, and ease of use—all at an approachable price. These devices are widely available through retailers, making it as simple to acquire a VR headset as it is to purchase a smartphone.

In pharma’s highly regulated environment, mobile device management solutions take this technology a step further by ensuring secure deployment. They allow administrators to control which users receive specific content and remotely lock or wipe devices if needed. This level of oversight makes VR both practical and safe for essential applications such as training and education. The newest headsets also include enhanced lenses and improved camera features, which simplify QR code scanning, sign-ins, and content access.

Altogether, these advancements make VR more accessible and effective for the industry. As adoption continues to grow, its potential to innovate and empower across the industry will only expand, bridging innovation with effectiveness and practicality.

PE: What challenges do marketers face when utilizing VR in their strategies?

Gervais: I’ve seen first-hand how marketers face unique hurdles when integrating VR into their strategies, particularly in highly regulated industries such as pharma. One of the biggest challenges is getting users comfortable with the technology. A thoughtful rollout plan is essential: distributing headsets and content to the right audiences—sales reps, patients, and providers—while ensuring they feel at ease with the devices. For patients and caregivers, it’s about encouraging active participation, much like promoting medication adherence. That can mean offering clear guidance on using the headsets or developing easy-to-follow training materials that spark engagement.

Marketers also need to ensure that VR content is both valuable and readily accessible. Having the right educational resources on hand—and making them simple to navigate—goes a long way toward breaking down initial reluctance. Once users try VR, they often discover a deeply rewarding experience. Overcoming that first hesitation with careful planning and proper training can make VR a powerful tool in any marketing strategy.

If marketers keep these objectives in mind, VR stands ready to transform their strategy by creating deeper connections across internal teams and fostering greater understanding among patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.