Welcome to the PAPR Coalition

PAPR Coalition We are the Protecting Access to Pain Relief (PAPR) Coalition, a multi-stakeholder coalition of public health organizations, medical professionals, people living with pain and concerned citizens established to support continued access to and choice of appropriate over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief.

Responsible Pain Management About 100 million Americans live with persistent pain. One of the most widely used medicines in the U.S. is acetaminophen. Over 50 million Americans use acetaminophen each week. When used as directed, acetaminophen has one of the most favorable safety profiles.

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However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may be considering restricting access to certain doses of OTC acetaminophen. FDA’s stated rationale for considering a restriction on certain dosages of acetaminophen is to reduce injury or death from unintentional acetaminophen. Research data shows OTC acetaminophen over 325 mg is not disproportionately associated with unintentional overdose.

American consumers do not support this approach. Consumers should have access to a full array of safe and effective pain relief options and should be allowed to make their own healthcare decisions on pain relief. Education is the key to helping patients understand the safe and proper use of acetaminophen.

Placing restrictions on patients’ access to effective OTC pain relief could make it more difficult for patients to access safe pain medication. Many patients will be forced to switch to a different pain relief that may be less effective or less safe for them based on their health condition, including improper use of potentially addictive opioid medications. A recent survey by the Alliance for Aging Research found that American adults overwhelmingly prefer some form of education about the safe use of OTC medications rather than having restricted access to the medications they know and trust.