Exhibit (a)(1)(ZZ)

                            [LETTERHEAD OF OMNICARE]
Omnicare                                                          news release
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           DELAWARE SUPREME COURT ACCEPTS NCS STOCKHOLDER-PLAINTIFFS'
                            INTERLOCUTORY APPEAL

      OMNICARE AND NCS STOCKHOLDER-PLAINTIFFS' APPEALS CONSOLIDATED AND
            TO BE HEARD BY THE ENTIRE DELAWARE SUPREME COURT

                  NCS Stockholder Meeting Postponed as a Result
                         of the Supreme Court's Decision

COVINGTON, Ky, December 5, 2002 - Omnicare, Inc. (NYSE: OCR), a leading provider
of pharmaceutical care for the elderly, today announced that the Delaware
Supreme Court issued an order on December 4, 2002 vacating its earlier order
refusing the NCS stockholder-plaintiffs' application for an interlocutory appeal
from the Chancery Court order denying their motion for a preliminary injunction.
The Court has now agreed to hear the plaintiffs' interlocutory appeal. The NCS
stockholder-plaintiffs' claims against NCS HealthCare, Inc. (NCSS.OB), its board
of directors and Genesis Health Ventures, Inc. (NASDAQ: GHVI) arise out of the
proposed acquisition of NCS by Genesis.

Omnicare also announced that the Delaware Supreme Court ordered, on December 3,
2002, that Omnicare's appeal, which was previously heard by a panel of three
Supreme Court Justices, be heard and determined by the entire Supreme Court
sitting en banc. Omnicare has appealed the Chancery Court's orders dismissing
Omnicare's breach of fiduciary duty claims against the NCS directors for lack of
standing and entering summary judgment in favor of the defendants as to
Omnicare's claim that Messrs. Outcalt's and Shaw's Class B common stock (ten
votes per share) automatically converted to Class A common stock (one vote per
share) upon execution of the voting agreements with Genesis.

In its December 4th order, the Delaware Supreme Court stated that the NCS
stockholder-plaintiffs' appeal and Omnicare's appeals arise from the same
operative facts and, therefore, should be consolidated and heard by the Court at
the same time. These appeals will be heard by the entire Delaware Supreme Court
on December 10, 2002.

As a result of the Delaware Supreme Court's decision, the NCS stockholder
meeting will not be held on Thursday, December 5, 2002 and has been postponed
until December 12, 2002.

Dewey Ballantine LLP is acting as legal counsel to Omnicare and Merrill Lynch is
acting as financial advisor. Innisfree M&A Incorporated is acting as Information
Agent.

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About the Company

Omnicare, based in Covington, Kentucky, is a leading provider of pharmaceutical
care for the elderly. Omnicare serves approximately 746,000 residents in
long-term care facilities in 45 states, making it the nation's largest provider
of professional pharmacy, related consulting and data management services for
skilled nursing, assisted living and other institutional healthcare providers.
Omnicare also provides clinical research services for the pharmaceutical and
biotechnology industries in 28 countries worldwide. For more information, visit
the company's Web site at http://www.omnicare.com.

This document is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to
sell securities. The tender offer is being made only through an offer to
purchase and related letter of transmittal. Investors and security holders are
strongly advised to read the tender offer statement of Omnicare because it
contains important information. The tender offer statement has been filed by
Omnicare with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Investors and
security holders may obtain a free copy of these statements (when available) and
other relevant documents on the SEC's Web site at: http://www.sec.gov. The
tender offer statement and related materials may also be obtained for free by
directing such requests to Omnicare at (859) 392-3331.

Statements in this press release concerning Omnicare's expectations regarding
the outcome of the litigation in the Delaware courts, together with other
statements that are not historical, are forward-looking statements that are
estimates reflecting the best judgment of Omnicare based on currently available
information. Such forward-looking statements involve actual known and unknown
risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that could cause actual
results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those stated.
Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors, many of which are
beyond the control of Omnicare, include overall economic, financial and business
conditions; trends for the continued growth of the businesses of Omnicare; the
ability to implement productivity, consolidation and cost reduction efforts and
to realize anticipated benefits; the impact and pace of pharmaceutical price
increases; delays and further reductions in governmental reimbursement to
customers and to Omnicare as a result of pressure on federal and state budgets
due to the continuing economic downturn and other factors; the overall financial
condition of Omnicare's customers; Omnicare's ability to assess and react to the
financial condition of its customers; the impact of seasonality on the business
of Omnicare; the ability of vendors to continue to provide products and services
to Omnicare; the continued successful integration of Omnicare's clinical
research business and acquired companies, including NCS, and the ability to
realize anticipated economies of scale and cost synergies; pricing and other
competitive factors in the industry; increases or decreases in reimbursement;
the effect of new government regulations, executive orders and/or legislative
initiatives, including those relating to reimbursement and drug pricing policies
and changes in the interpretation and application of such policies; government
budgetary pressures and shifting priorities; efforts by payors to control costs;
the outcome of litigation; the failure of Omnicare to obtain or maintain
required regulatory approvals or licenses; loss or delay of contracts pertaining
to Omnicare's contract research organization business for regulatory or other
reasons; the ability of clinical research projects to produce revenues in future
periods; the ability to attract and retain needed management; the impact and
pace of technological advances; the ability to obtain or maintain rights to
data, technology and other intellectual property; the impact of consolidation in
the pharmaceutical and long-term care industries; volatility in the market for
Omnicare's stock, the stock of Genesis Health Ventures, the stock of NCS and in
the financial markets generally; access to capital and financing; the demand for
Omnicare's products and services; variations in costs or expenses; the continued
availability of suitable acquisition candidates; changes in tax law and
regulation; changes in accounting rules and standards; and other risks and
uncertainties described in Omnicare's reports and filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
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Contacts:

Cheryl D. Hodges                       Joele Frank / Andy Brimmer
Omnicare, Inc.                         Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
(859) 392-3331                         (212) 355-4449, ext. 121