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                                 EXHIBIT 5.1

                               JANUARY 26, 1998

Arbor Drugs, lnc.
3331 West Big Beaver
Troy, Michigan 48084

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have represented Arbor Drugs, Inc., a Michigan corporation (the
"Company"), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") of a Registration Statement on Form
S-8 (the "Registration Statement"), for registration under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), of (i) a maximum of 750,000 shares
of the Company's common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"),
issued or to be issued pursuant to the Arbor Drugs , Inc. Employee Stock
Purchase Plan (the "Plan") and (ii) an indeterminate amount of interests in the
Plan.

     Based upon our examination of such documents and other matters as we deem
relevant, it is our opinion that the Common Stock to be offered by the Company
under the Plan and the interests in the Plan to be offered by the Company
pursuant to the Registration Statement have been duly authorized and, when
issued and sold by the Company in accordance with the Plan, will be legally
issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

     We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not admit hereby that we
come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7
of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission
thereunder.

                                Very truly yours,

                                /S/ Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn

                                HONIGMAN MILLER SCHWARTZ AND COHN