POWER OF ATTORNEY 
               Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints each of Anne A. 
Rosar, Lynn Morris and Mark R. Busch or any of them signing singly, and with full power of 
substitution, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:
        (1)        prepare, execute in the undersigned's name and on the undersigned's behalf, and submit 
to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a Form ID, including amendments thereto, 
and any other documents necessary or appropriate to obtain codes and passwords enabling the 
undersigned to make electronic filings with the SEC of reports required by Section 16(a) of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 or any rule or regulation of the SEC;
        (2)        execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity as an officer 
and/or director of DARA BioSciences, Inc. (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with 
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;
        (3)        do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which may be 
necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5, complete and execute any 
amendment or amendments thereto, and timely file such form with the SEC and any stock exchange or 
similar authority; and
        (4)        take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the foregoing which, in 
the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the 
undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the 
undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and 
conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-fact's discretion.
               The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and 
perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise 
of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned 
might or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and 
confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully 
do or cause to be done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.  The 
undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request 
of the undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's 
responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
               This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the undersigned is no longer 
required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in 
securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered 
to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.
               IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be executed as 
of this 17 day of May, 2012.
                                                        /s/ David J. Drutz                        
                                                                     Signature
                                                        Name: David J. Drutz