Used primarily as an intermediate in the synthesis of ketorolac tromethamine, a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It plays a critical role in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes where controlled carboxylation or derivatization is required to produce the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Due to its structural similarity to ketorolac, it is also used in analytical studies and metabolic research to understand degradation pathways and byproduct formation in drug formulations. Additionally, it serves as a reference standard in quality control for detecting impurities in ketorolac-based medications.