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                                                                   Exhibit 5




                          Taft, Stettinius & Hollister
                              1800 Star Bank Center
                                425 Walnut Street
                           Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-3957

                                December 3, 1996


Securities & Exchange Commission
Judiciary Plaza
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549

           Re:  Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
                1988 Stock Option Plan
                ----------------------

Dear Sir or Madam:

     We have acted as counsel for Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Corporation"), in connection with its 1988 Stock Option Plan
(the "Plan"). We have examined such documents, records and matters of law as we
have deemed necessary for purposes of this opinion and, based thereupon, we are
of the opinion that the shares of common stock, $.01 par value, of the
Corporation which may be issued or transferred and sold pursuant to the Plan
will be, when issued or transferred in accordance with the terms of the Plan,
duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

           We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an Exhibit to the
Registration Statement on Form S-8 to be filed by the Corporation with the
Securities and Exchange Commission to effect registration under the Securities
Act of 1933 of 2,000,000 additional shares to be issued or transferred and sold
pursuant to the Plan.

                                                 TAFT, STETTINIUS & HOLLISTER