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                                                         Exhibit 5


                         [Baker & Hostetler Letterhead]

                                 March 4, 1994

Cardinal Health, Inc.
655 Metro Place South, Suite 925
Dublin, Ohio 43017

Gentlemen:

                 We have acted as counsel to Cardinal Health, Inc., an Ohio
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the Company's Registration
Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") filed under the Securities
Act of 1933 (the "Act") relating to the offering of up to 1,377,000 Common
Shares, without par value (the "Common Shares"), of the Company pursuant to the
amended and restated stock option agreements entered into between the Company
and former holders of options to purchase shares of Common Stock $.01 par value
of Whitmire Distribution Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Cardinal
Exchange Option Agreements").

                 In connection with the foregoing, we have examined:  (a) the
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and Code of
Regulations, as amended and restated, of the Company, (b) the Cardinal Exchange
Option Agreements, and (c) such records of the corporate proceedings of the
Company and such other documents as we deemed necessary to render this opinion.

                 Based on such examination, we are of the opinion that:

                 1.       The Company is a corporation duly organized and
validly existing under the laws of the State of Ohio.

                 2.       The Common Shares available for issuance under the
Plan, when issued pursuant to the Cardinal Exchange Option Agreements upon
exercise of options granted thereunder, will have been legally issued, and 
will be fully paid and nonassessable.

                 We hereby consent to the use of this Opinion as Exhibit 5 to
the Registration Statement and the reference to our firm in Item 5 of Part II
of the Registration Statement.

                                                   Very truly yours,

                                                   /s/Baker & Hostetler