Results of the study: In a long-term perspective innovations which are directed towards the principles of sustainable active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) will result in substituting problematic substances with other ones which are therapeutically effective as well as degradable in an environmentally compatible way. The substitution leads to a considerable decrease in water pollution with respect to the influx of APIs. The article summarizes the standard of knowledge considering measures with which such innovations and the consequent water improvement can be achieved. Discussion: With an adequate promotion of research within this field and a modified scientific education the appliance of specific molecular designs could be established in the pharmaceutical sciences and industry. Examples will show that this, as a first step, may result in effective structures (model structures, which are already comprising synthetic substances) being modified so as to achieve a good degradability. By providing a list with evaluated and successfully established practical examples the basic practicability of this approach can convincingly be demonstrated. Especially within a changed political framework it will on this basis be possible as a second step to show that the approach also works in a systematic way when it comes to a broader development of new substances. With the help of advertising efforts the swift establishment of those innovations within the pharmaceutical market can be achieved thus supporting an accelerated environmental relief. Conclusions: There is an option to develop a method of resolution, which will bring forward a trans-formation within the pharmaceutical industry with respect to a sustainable development. Those new methods furthering an improved degradability of pharmaceutical substances will result in an important reduction of influx into the environment and they will at the same time be able to improve the pharmaceutically relevant properties. Recommendations and perspectives: The hereby suggested strategic approach is also applicable for environmentally relevant chemicals, i. e. not for pharmaceuticals only.