<ARTICLE> 5 <CIK> 0000874265 <NAME> GENSIS HEALTH VENTURES,INC & SUBSIDIARIES <MULTIPLIER> 1 <CURRENCY> U.S. DOLLARS <RESTATED> <PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS 6-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> SEP-30-1998 SEP-30-1997 <PERIOD-START> OCT-01-1997 OCT-01-1996 <PERIOD-END> MAR-31-1998 MAR-31-1997 <EXCHANGE-RATE> 1 1 <CASH> 15,574,000 13,835,000 <SECURITIES> 18,839,000 0 <RECEIVABLES> 309,212,000 233,518,000 <ALLOWANCES> (53,085,000) (36,531,000) <INVENTORY> 35,778,000 24,866,000 <CURRENT-ASSETS> 440,290,000 320,140,000 <PP&E> 680,366,000 633,540,000 <DEPRECIATION> (107,617,000) (77,879,000) <TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,917,012,000 1,341,213,000 <CURRENT-LIABILITIES> 164,980,000 128,737,000 <BONDS> 0 0 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 0 <PREFERRED> 0 0 <COMMON> 721,000 699,000 <OTHER-SE> 628,847,000 582,267,000 <TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY> 1,917,012,000 1,341,213,000 <SALES> 646,864,000 531,807,000 <TOTAL-REVENUES> 646,864,000 531,807,000 <CGS> 0 0 <TOTAL-COSTS> 528,656,000 439,997,000 <OTHER-EXPENSES> 38,864,000 34,283,000 <LOSS-PROVISION> 0 0 <INTEREST-EXPENSE> 38,331,000 18,155,000 <INCOME-PRETAX> 41,013,000 39,372,000 <INCOME-TAX> 14,970,000 14,370,000 <INCOME-CONTINUING> 27,390,000 25,002,000 <DISCONTINUED> 0 0 <EXTRAORDINARY> (1,924,000) (553,000) <CHANGES> 0 0 <NET-INCOME> 25,466,000 13,494,000 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0.73 .72 <EPS-DILUTED> 0.71 .70