Exhibit 31.1

                     SECTION 302 CERTIFICATIONS
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Certifications:

I, Michael O'Connell, certify that:

1.	I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of A.P.
Pharma, Inc.;

2.	Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in
light of the circumstances under which such statements were
made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
this report;

3.	Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
financial information included in this report, fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as
of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.	The registrant's other certifying officers and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure
controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

a)	Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or
caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be
designed under our supervision, to ensure that
material information relating to the registrant is
made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this report
is being prepared;

b)	Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
disclosure controls and procedures and presented in
this report our conclusions about the effectiveness
of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the
end of the period covered by this report based on
such evaluation; and

c)	Disclosed in this report any change in the
registrant's internal control over financial
reporting that occurred during the registrant's most
recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected,
or is reasonable likely to materially affect, the
registrant's internal control over financial
reporting; and

5.	The registrant's other certifying officers and I have
disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal
control over financial reporting, to the registrant's
auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of
directors:

a)	All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses
in the design or operation of internal control over
financial report which could reasonable likely to
adversely affect the registrant's ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial information;
and

b)	Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
management or other employees who have a significant
role in the registrant's internal control over
financial reporting.

Date: August 13, 2004

/s/ Michael O'Connell
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Michael O'Connell
President and Chief Executive Officer