## 1 Introduction  
Several studies have revealed that a variety of pharmaceutical substances are regularly discovered in surface waterways, making them a growing environmental and public health concern over the past decade [1; 2; 3; 4]. Among these pollutants, antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have gained particular attention due to their widespread usage and persistence in aquatic systems. The discharge of these pharmaceutical compounds into natural water bodies, primarily through effluent discharges from sewage treatment plants and hospitals, has raised questions about their potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health [5; 6; 7; 8]. ARV drugs, which are essential in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, have dramatically improved the quality of life and life expectancy of individuals living with the disease. However, their presence in water systems poses potential risks, including the development of drug-resistant strains of the virus and adverse effects on aquatic organisms [9; 10]. On the other hand, NSAIDs, commonly used to relieve pain and inflammation, can also be found in aquatic environments due to their extensive use. The environmental consequences of NSAID contamination include disrupted endocrine systems in aquatic organisms and potential risks to human health through the consumption of contaminated water or seafood [11; 12]. To address these concerns and mitigate the impact of pharmaceutical pollutants in water systems, researchers have turned to innovative technologies, including molecularly imprinted polymers [13], activated carbon [14], zeolites [15], and silica gel [16], which are conventional choices due to their widespread availability and cost-effectiveness. Activated carbon boasts a high surface area and adsorption capacity, making it suitable for general-purpose adsorption tasks [17]. However, its lack of molecular selectivity and susceptibility to fouling limit its applicability in tasks requiring specific molecular recognition. Similarly, zeolites offer a well-defined pore structure and selective adsorption properties, but their limited scalability and relatively high cost pose challenges for certain applications [18]. Silica gel, known for its good adsorption capacity for polar molecules, is cost-effective and chemically inert but suffers from limited selectivity and susceptibility to hydrolysis [19]. In contrast, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) present a distinct advantage in selective adsorption purposes. MIPs are synthetic materials designed with specific molecular recognition sites that can selectively bind to target compounds, such as pharmaceuticals [20]. Their customizability and high selectivity make MIPs promising candidates for the removal of ARV drugs, NSAIDs, and other pharmaceutical pollutants from water sources [21; 22]. By leveraging molecular recognition principles, MIPs offer an environmentally friendly and efficient solution to this emerging environmental challenge. To prepare these MIPs, various important materials are needed, such as a functional monomer and cross-linking agent. A functional monomer is a molecule that is known to be responsible for the binding interactions at imprinted binding sites [20; 23]. A functional monomer is utilized in excess compared to moles of a template in a non-covalent imprinting technique to promote the production of template-functional monomer assemblies [24]. The functional monomer in the current study was 2-vinyl pyridine. This monomer can create hydrogen bonding with the carboxylic group of the target molecules and plays a crucial role in the formation of selective binding sites within the MIPs, facilitating the recognition and separation of the target molecule [20]. The functional groups present on the template molecule interact with complementary functional groups within the polymer matrix, in this case, the nitrogen in the pyridine, leading to specific binding and recognition of the target molecule based on chemical compatibility.