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                                  UNITED STATES
                       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): August 13, 2003

                       Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


          Delaware                      0-18443                  52-1574808
(State or Other Jurisdiction   (Commission File Number)        (IRS Employer
     of Incorporation)                                       Identification No.)


8125 North Hayden Road
Scottsdale, Arizona                                                   85258-2463
(Address of Principal                                                 (Zip Code)
Executive Offices)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:                (602)808-8800



                                      N/A
         ---------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)



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Item 7.       Financial Statements and Exhibits

(a)      Financial Statements of Business Acquired.

Not Applicable.

(b)      Pro Forma Financial Information.

Not Applicable.

(c)      Exhibits.

99.1       Copy of press release, dated August 13, 2003, issued by Medicis
           Pharmaceutical Corporation


Item 9.       Regulation FD Disclosure

     On August  13,  2003,  Medicis  Pharmaceutical  Corporation  issued a press
release  announcing the expiration and results of the exchange offer for its new
1.5% Contingent  Convertible  Senior Notes due 2033. A copy of the press release
appears as Exhibit 99.1 to this  Current  Report and is  incorporated  herein by
reference.



                                   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.

                                                MEDICIS PHARMACEUTICAL
                                                CORPORATION
                                                (Registrant)


Date:  August 18, 2003                          /s/ Mark A. Prygocki, Sr.
                                                -------------------------------
                                                Name:  Mark A. Prygocki, Sr.
                                                Title: Executive Vice President,
                                                       Chief Financial Officer,
                                                       Corporate Secretary and
                                                       Treasurer





                                 EXHIBIT INDEX


EXHIBIT
NUMBER         DESCRIPTION
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99.1           Copy of press release, dated August 13, 2003, issued by Medicis
               Pharmaceutical Corporation.