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I can't find any evidence that acetaminophen was ever required in opioid painkillers. Somewhat the reverse: the FDA was criticized for moving too slowly to limit the amount of acetaminophen that is included in prescription pain medication. The motivation for adding it to begin with seems to be that it is effective, not to discourage abuse. So you are right to question this source of medical information. But are the doctors and public health experts better? They do not agree with each other, and often give bad advice. I think the best course is to remain skeptical and develop the skills of gathering and weighing evidence from all sources and drawing justified conclusions.