Pharmaceuticals and their metabolites and transformation products are increasingly found in the environment, raising concerns due to their potential adverse effects on living organisms. These compounds are widely used in human and veterinary medicine and are continuously released into the environment. Pharmaceuticals have been detected in various environmental samples, including sewage-treatment-plant effluents, surface water, seawater, groundwater, soil, sediment, and fish. This paper reviews recent scientific research on the sources, occurrence, and fate of pharmaceuticals in water and wastewater. Pharmaceuticals are a significant group of potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). They are emerging environmental contaminants, widely used in human and veterinary medicine. These compounds are designed to have specific modes of action and are often persistent in the body. They have been detected in low concentrations in many environmental samples worldwide, including sewage-treatment-plant effluents, surface water, seawater, and groundwater. Common pharmaceuticals include caffeine, diclofenac, clofibric acid, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, carbamazepine, artorvastatin, gemfibrozil, fluoxetine, and 17β-ethynylestradiol. These compounds are ubiquitous in surface waters and wastewater. Although the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, genotoxic effects of some drugs, and endocrine disruption by synthetic and natural hormones have been discussed, the long-term subtle effects on non-target organisms are still unknown. This review highlights the importance of understanding the occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals in water and wastewater environments.Pharmaceuticals and their metabolites and transformation products are increasingly found in the environment, raising concerns due to their potential adverse effects on living organisms. These compounds are widely used in human and veterinary medicine and are continuously released into the environment. Pharmaceuticals have been detected in various environmental samples, including sewage-treatment-plant effluents, surface water, seawater, groundwater, soil, sediment, and fish. This paper reviews recent scientific research on the sources, occurrence, and fate of pharmaceuticals in water and wastewater. Pharmaceuticals are a significant group of potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). They are emerging environmental contaminants, widely used in human and veterinary medicine. These compounds are designed to have specific modes of action and are often persistent in the body. They have been detected in low concentrations in many environmental samples worldwide, including sewage-treatment-plant effluents, surface water, seawater, and groundwater. Common pharmaceuticals include caffeine, diclofenac, clofibric acid, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, carbamazepine, artorvastatin, gemfibrozil, fluoxetine, and 17β-ethynylestradiol. These compounds are ubiquitous in surface waters and wastewater. Although the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, genotoxic effects of some drugs, and endocrine disruption by synthetic and natural hormones have been discussed, the long-term subtle effects on non-target organisms are still unknown. This review highlights the importance of understanding the occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals in water and wastewater environments.