Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been recognized as a key driving technology for the fifth generation (5G) and beyond 5G cellular networks. For a practical dowlink NOMA system with imperfect successive interference cancellation (SIC), we derive bounds on channel coefficients and power allocation factors between NOMA users to achieve higher rates than an equivalent orthogonal multiple access (OMA) system. We propose an adaptive user pairing (A-UP) algorithm for NOMA systems. Through extensive simulations, we show that NOMA with imperfect SIC is not always superior to OMA. Further, the proposed A-UP algorithm results in better performance than state-of-the-art NOMA pairing algorithms in presence of SIC imperfections.