EXHIBIT 5

                           [BRYAN CAVE LLP LETTERHEAD]

                               November 21, 2002

Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation
8125 North Hayden Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-2463

Re:   Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation: Registration Statement on Form S-8


Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), of 3,000,000 shares
(the "Shares") of the Company's Class A common stock, $.014 par value (the
"Common Stock"), which may be issued from time to time upon the exercise of
stock options granted pursuant to the Company's 2002 Stock Option Plan (the
"Plan"). The Shares are being registered pursuant to a registration statement on
Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission").

In arriving at the opinion expressed below, we have examined the Registration
Statement and such other documents, including the Certificate of Incorporation
and Bylaws of the Company, each as amended to date, as we have deemed necessary
to enable us to express the opinion set forth herein. In addition, we have
examined and relied on the originals or copies, certified or otherwise
identified to our satisfaction as conforming to the originals thereof, of such
other documents and corporate records of the Company and such other instruments
and certificates of public officials and other persons as we have deemed
appropriate. We have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us
as originals, the conformity to the original documents of all documents
submitted to us as copies, and the genuineness of all signatures on all
documents reviewed by us.

Based on the foregoing and subject to the limitations and qualifications set
forth herein, we are of the opinion that:

The Shares of Common Stock to be issued by the Company pursuant to the
Registration Statement have been duly authorized, and upon issuance and delivery
in accordance with the terms of the Plan will be duly and validly issued and
fully paid and nonassessable.

This opinion is limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law and the present
federal laws of the United States and to the facts as they presently exist. We
hereby consent to references to our firm under the caption "Legal Matters" in
any prospectus included by incorporation by reference into the Registration
Statement. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit 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,



BRYAN CAVE LLP