8-K

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                                UNITED STATES
                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                           Washington, D.C. 20549


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                                  FORM 8-K


                               CURRENT REPORT


                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                     THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                        Commission File Number 1-9601


      Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): August 17, 2004


                         K-V PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY
           (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


              DELAWARE                                 43-0618919
   (State or other jurisdiction of        (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
   incorporation or organization)

        2503 SOUTH HANLEY ROAD
         ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI                              63144
 (Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip Code)



                               (314) 645-6600
            (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)




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ITEM 4.           CHANGES IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT.

         On August 17, 2004, KV Pharmaceutical Company (the "Company")
engaged KPMG LLP ("KPMG") as its independent auditor. The engagement was
approved by the Audit Committee of the Company's Board of Directors. The
engagement of KPMG also contemplates that KPMG will review the Company's
quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2004, in
accordance with Rule 10-01(d) of Regulation S-X.

          KPMG replaces BDO Seidman LLP, which resigned as the Company's
independent public accountants. BDO Seidman LLP's resignation was reported
in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed July 13, 2004. The
Company has authorized and requested that BDO Seidman LLP respond fully to
the inquiries of KPMG.

ITEM 9.           REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

         On August 17, 2004, the Company issued a press release announcing
the engagement of KPMG as its independent auditor. A copy of the press
release is furnished with this report as Exhibit 99. The information in this
Item 9, including Exhibit 99, is being furnished under Regulation FD and
shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.


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                                    -2-




                                 SIGNATURES


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


Dated: August 19, 2004

                                       K-V PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY


                                       By:      /s/ GERALD R. MITCHELL
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Gerald R. Mitchell
                                          Vice President, Treasurer and
                                          Chief Financial Officer





                                    -3-

EX-99

                                                                  EXHIBIT 99


KV PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY

                                          CONTACT:
                                          CATHERINE M. BIFFIGNANI
                                          VICE PRESIDENT, INVESTOR RELATIONS
                                          314-645-6600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     [KV PHARMACEUTICAL logo]



           KV PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF
                       KPMG LLP AS INDEPENDENT AUDITOR

St. Louis, MO, August 17, 2004 - KV Pharmaceutical Company (NYSE: KVa/KVb)
today announced that KPMG LLP has been engaged as its independent auditor.
The engagement was approved by the Audit Committee of KV's Board of
Directors following a search process led by that committee.

Marc S. Hermelin, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, "We are
delighted to report to shareholders that we have enlisted the services of
KPMG LLP, one of the nation's largest auditing firms and one with tremendous
expertise in the pharmaceutical industry."


ABOUT KV PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY
KV Pharmaceutical Company is a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical
company that develops and markets technology-distinguished branded and
generic/non-branded prescription pharmaceutical products. The Company
markets its technology distinguished products through ETHEX Corporation, a
national leader in pharmaceuticals that compete with branded products, and
Ther-Rx Corporation, its emerging branded drug subsidiary. KV has
consistently ranked as one of America's fastest growing small companies,
most recently by Forbes in its October 2003 issue and one of Business Week's
"Hot Growth Companies" in the June 2004 issue.

For further information about KV Pharmaceutical Company, please visit the
Company's corporate website at www.kvpharmaceutical.com.


SAFE HARBOR
The information in this release may contain various forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities
Litigation reform Act of 1995 ("PSLRA") and which may be based on or include
assumptions, concerning KV's






operations, future results and prospects. Such statements may be identified
by the use of words like "plans", "expect", "aim", "believe", "projects",
"anticipate", "commit", "intend", "estimate", "will", "should", "could", and
other expressions that indicate future events and trends.

All statements that address expectations or projections about the future,
including without limitation, statements about the Company's strategy for
growth, product development, regulatory approvals, market position,
expenditures and financial results, are forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and are
subject to risk and uncertainties. In connection with the "safe harbor"
provisions, KV provides the following cautionary statements identifying
important economic, political and technology factors which, among others,
could cause the actual results or events to differ materially from those set
forth or implied by the forward-looking statements and related assumptions.

Such factors include (but are not limited to) the following: (1) changes in
the current and future business environment, including interest rates and
capital and consumer spending; (2) the difficulty of predicting FDA
approvals; (3) acceptance and demand for new pharmaceutical products; (4)
the impact of competitive products and pricing; (5) new product development
and launch; (6) reliance on key strategic alliances; (7) the availability of
raw materials; (8) the regulatory environment; (9) fluctuations in operating
results; (10) the difficulty of predicting the pattern of inventory
movements by the Company's customers; (11) the impact of competitive
response to the Company's efforts to leverage its branded power with product
innovation, promotional programs, and new advertising; (12) risks that the
company may not ultimately prevail in its Paragraph IV litigation and that
any period of exclusivity may not in fact be realized; and (13) the risks
detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.

This discussion is by no means exhaustive, but is designed to highlight
important factors that may impact the Company's outlook.


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