Medicis Pharmaceutical 10-K 2000 FY Annual report

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP, INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

    We consent to the inclusion in Item 8 of this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation of our report dated August 4, 2000 with respect to the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended June 30, 2000.

    Our audit also included the financial statement schedule for the three years ended June 30, 2000 of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation listed in Item 14 (a)(2). This schedule is the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion based on our audit. In our opinion, the financial statement schedule referred to above, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.

    We also consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 33-45573) pertaining to the 1988 and 1990 Stock Option Plans, in the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 33-88590) pertaining to the 1992 Stock Option Plan, in the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 33-311419) pertaining to the 1995 Stock Option Plan, in the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 33-333647) pertaining to the 1996 Stock Option Plan, and in the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-81647) pertaining to the 1998 Stock Option Plan of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation of our report dated August 4, 2000, with respect to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2000 included in Item 8 herein, and our report included in the preceding paragraph with respect to the financial statement schedule included in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation.

/s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Phoenix, Arizona

September 27, 2000