[Letterhead of Proskauer Rose LLP]

                                                                     Exhibit 5.1




                                                                  March 30, 1998

The Board of Directors
Schein Pharmaceutical, Inc.
100 Campus Drive, Suite 375
Florham Park, New Jersey

Ladies and Gentlemen:

You have requested our opinion in connection with the filing by Schein 
Pharmaceutical, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission of a Registration Statement on Form S-4 
(Commission File No.: 333-45743) (the "Registration Statement") under the 
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") with respect to $100,000,000 
principal amount of the Company's Senior Floating Rate Notes Due 2004 (the "New
Notes"). The Registration Statement relates to the offer (the "Exchange Offer") 
by the Company to exchange the New Notes for $100,000,000 principal amount of 
the Company's outstanding Senior Floating Rate Notes Due 2004 (the "Old 
Notes").

We have examined such records, documents and other instruments as we have deemed
relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinions set forth below. We 
have assumed without investigation the authenticity of any document 
submitted to us as an original, the conformity to originals of any document 
submitted to us as a copy, the authenticity of the originals of such latter 
documents, the genuineness of all signatures and the legal capacity of natural 
persons signing such documents.

Based upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that the New Notes, when duly
executed by the Company, authenticated by the trustee pursuant to the terms of
the related Indenture and exchanged for the Old Notes in accordance with the
terms of the Exchange Offer, will be duly authorized and validly issued and will
constitute binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the
Indenture in accordance with their terms, subject as to their binding nature to
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization,
moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors' rights and remedies generally
and subject to general principles of equity, including principles of commercial
reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement
is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).

The foregoing opinion is limited to the internal law of the State of New York
and the Delaware General Corporation Law and we express no opinion on any other
law.


Proskauer Rose LLP

The Board of Directors
Schein Pharmaceutical, Inc.
March 30, 1998.
Page 2


  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the 
Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the caption, 
"Legal Matters," in the Prospectus contained in the Registration Statement. In
so doing, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent
is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
                 
                                                         Very truly yours,

                                                         /s/ Proskauer Rose LLP