8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549
                             ______________________


                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT


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



Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):  May 27, 2004


                       PAR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)



   DELAWARE                         FILE NUMBER 1-10827            22-3122182
(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF   (COMMISSION FILE NUMBER)      (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)                               IDENTIFICATION NO.)



ONE RAM RIDGE ROAD, SPRING VALLEY, NEW YORK                             10977
    (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)                          (ZIP CODE)




Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (845) 425-7100



ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS


CHANGE IN CORPORATE NAME

On May 27, 2004, Pharmaceutical Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation, changed
its name to "Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc." (the "Company") by amending its
Certificate  of  Incorporation,  following  approval  of the name  change by the
Company's  stockholders at the Company's annual stockholders  meeting on May 26,
2004.

CHANGE OF CUSIP NUMBER

Concurrent with the name change, the Company received a new CUSIP number,  which
is now 69888P 10 6. The  Company's  ticker  symbol  (PRX) did not change and the
Company's  common stock will continue to trade under that symbol on the New York
Stock Exchange.

Exhibit 99.1 hereto sets forth a press  release  issued by the Company to report
the name change and additional information about the Company.



                                   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 thereunto duly authorized.


Dated as of:  June 10, 2004


                                    PAR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, INC.
                                    ----------------------------------
                                               (Registrant)



                                    /s/ Dennis J. O'Connor
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Dennis J. O'Connor
                                    Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


                                       2



                                       EXHIBIT INDEX


EXHIBIT NO.                       DESCRIPTION
- ----------                        -----------

   99.1       Press  release  issued  by the  Company  to  report  the name
              change and additional information about the Company.

                                       3

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1
Contact:
Stephen J. Mock
Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Pharmaceutical Resources, Inc.
(201) 802-4000

                     PHARMACEUTICAL RESOURCES, INC. RENAMED
                       PAR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, INC.

SPRING VALLEY,  NEW YORK, MAY 26, 2004 - At the Pharmaceutical  Resources,  Inc.
(NYSE:PRX) annual meeting held today,  stockholders approved an amendment to the
company's  certificate of incorporation to change the name of the company to Par
Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. The name change will be effective on or about May
27, 2004, following the filing of the certificate of amendment with the State of
Delaware.

As a  result  of the  amendment,  holders  of  common  stock  of  Pharmaceutical
Resources,  Inc.  will own the same  number of  shares  of  common  stock in Par
Pharmaceutical  Companies,  Inc.  The  shares of Par  Pharmaceutical  Companies,
Inc.'s common stock will continue to trade on the New York Stock  Exchange under
the ticker symbol PRX.

"Our company has long been identified by our principal operating subsidiary, Par
Pharmaceutical,"  said Scott  Tarriff,  president and chief  executive  officer.
"Most of our employees  work  directly for Par and identify with that name.  Our
trade  customers,  strategic  partners  and our  surrounding  local  communities
already  recognize us as Par. By extending the Par identity to all our remaining
external  constituencies,  we  will  create  a  clearer  and  more  recognizable
corporate identity."

Par Pharmaceutical  Companies,  Inc. develops,  manufactures and markets generic
pharmaceuticals through its principal subsidiary,  Par Pharmaceutical,  Inc. The
company is also developing a line of proprietary  specialty  pharmaceuticals and
expects to market the first of these in 2005.  Through its FineTech  subsidiary,
Par also  develops  and  utilizes  synthetic  chemical  processes  to design and
develop intermediate ingredients used in the production of finished products for
the  pharmaceutical  industry.  Par currently  manufactures and distributes more
than 170 products  representing  various dosage strengths of 73 drugs. For press
release and other company information, visit http://www.parpharm.com.


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