EXHIBIT 5

                       [Baker & Hostetler LLP Letterhead]

                                December 17, 2002


Cardinal Health, Inc.
7000 Cardinal Place
Dublin, OH 43017

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel to Cardinal Health, Inc., an Ohio corporation
("Cardinal Health" or the "Company"), in connection with the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") being filed by the Company
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), relating to the
registration of $1,000,000,000 of: (i) common shares, without par value ("Common
Shares"), of Cardinal Health, and (ii) unsecured debt securities of Cardinal
Health (the "Debt Securities" and collectively with the Common Shares, the
"Offered Securities"). The Debt Securities are to be issued under an Indenture,
dated as of April 18, 1997, between the Company and Bank One, N.A. (formerly
known as Bank One, Columbus, N.A.), as trustee (the "Indenture Trustee"), and
one or more supplemental indentures thereto (collectively, the "Indenture").
This opinion is being delivered pursuant to your request. Capitalized terms not
otherwise defined herein have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the
Registration Statement.

         In rendering this opinion, we have examined and relied upon a copy of
the Registration Statement. We have also examined originals, or copies of
originals certified or otherwise certified to our satisfaction, of such
agreements, documents, certificates and other statements of governmental
officials and other instruments, and have examined such questions of law and
have satisfied ourselves as to such matters of fact, as we have considered
relevant and necessary as a basis for this opinion. We have assumed the
authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the genuineness of
all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons and the conformity
with the original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or
photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter
documents.

         Based on and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

         1. The Debt Securities will be legally issued and binding obligations
         of the Company (except to the extent enforceability may be limited by
         applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium,
         fraudulent transfer or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of
         creditors' rights generally and by the effect of general principles of
         equity, regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a
         proceeding in equity or at law) when: (i) the Registration Statement,
         as finally amended (including any post-effective amendments), shall
         have become effective under the Securities Act; (ii) the Indenture
         shall have been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
         amended, and duly executed and delivered by the Company and the
         Indenture Trustee; (iii) the Company's Board of Directors or a duly
         authorized committee thereof shall have duly adopted final resolutions
         authorizing the issuance and sale of the Debt Securities, as
         contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Indenture; (iv) the
         supplemental indenture under which the particular Debt Securities are
         to be issued shall have been duly executed as provided in the Indenture
         and such resolutions; (v) the Debt Securities shall have been issued
         and sold as described in the Registration Statement and in a related
         prospectus supplement; and (vi) the Debt Securities shall have been
         duly executed, authenticated and delivered to the purchasers thereof
         against payment of the agreed consideration therefor.

         2. The Common Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and
         non-assessable when: (i) the Registration Statement, as finally amended
         (including any post-effective amendments), shall have become effective
         under the Securities Act; (ii) the Company's Board of Directors or a
         duly authorized committee thereof shall have duly adopted final
         resolutions authorizing the issuance and sale of the Common Shares, as
         contemplated by the Registration Statement and any prospectus
         supplement relating thereto, and the Common Shares are issued in a
         manner consistent therewith; and (iii) the






         certificates representing the Common Shares in the form of the specimen
         certificate examined by us shall have been duly executed, countersigned
         and registered and duly delivered to the purchasers thereof against
         payment of the agreed consideration therefor.

         This opinion is expressed as of the date hereof. For purposes of this
opinion, we have assumed that there will be no changes in the laws currently
applicable to the Company and that such laws will be the only laws applicable to
the Company. We disclaim any undertaking to advise you of any subsequent changes
in the facts stated or assumed herein or of any subsequent changes in applicable
laws. We do not find it necessary for the purposes of this opinion to cover, and
accordingly we express no opinion as to, the application of the securities or
blue sky laws of the various states to the sale of the Offered Securities.

         This opinion is limited to matters of federal and Ohio law, and we
express no opinion herein as to the laws of any other jurisdiction.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Company's Registration Statement on Form S-3 relating to the Offered Securities
and the reference to us under the caption "Legal Opinions" in the Registration
Statement. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are included
in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the
Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.

                                          Very truly yours,


                                          /s/ Baker & Hostetler LLP