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Background/Aim: Non-adherence to long-term maintenance pharmacotherapy remains a major challenge in mental disorders and is associated with increased risks of relapse and disease progression. Complex medication regimens and medication-related problems may further compromise the safe and effective use of psychotropic drugs. Community pharmacies provide low-threshold access to patients and can complement outpatient mental healthcare through continuous pharmaceutical support. PharmBePsych aims to improve medication adherence while promoting safe and effective long-term medication use through community pharmacy-based care.

Methods: PharmBePsych is a multicenter, cluster-randomized controlled trial with single blinding conducted in community pharmacies in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, Germany. Participating pharmacies recruited adults with selected mental disorders receiving disorder-specific pharmacotherapy and continue to deliver the intervention. The intervention group receives a structured 12-month pharmaceutical care program combining psychopharmacotherapy education with continuous medication management. Following an initial in-person consultation, the hybrid model allows flexible follow-up via telepharmacy or in person. The control group receives standardized pharmaceutical care. Medication adherence is assessed as the primary outcome (15-STARS); medication-related problems and other patient-reported measures are secondary outcomes.

Results: Recruitment was conducted from July 2025 to July 2026 and has been completed, with 94 patients currently enrolled in the trial (intervention: n = 50; control: n = 44), against a prespecified target of 290. A total of 22 community pharmacies enrolled at least one patient. Practical challenges occurred at different levels: engaging patients in a program requiring 12 months of continued participation; integrating the additional workload of recruitment and continuous care into routine pharmacy practice; and addressing procedural and technical challenges, including diagnosis confirmation and the implementation of telepharmacy. Follow-up is ongoing, with study completion in August 2027.

Discussion/Conclusion: PharmBePsych highlights both the opportunities and practical challenges of establishing continuous pharmaceutical care for patients with mental disorders in community pharmacy practice. Experiences from recruitment and care delivery provide valuable insights for implementing such longitudinal care. Ongoing evaluation will determine whether this complementary approach improves medication adherence and supports medication safety in long-term pharmacotherapy.