SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 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)  November 1, 2001
                                                  ----------------


                          BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           New Jersey                001-4802                   22-0760120
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    (State or other juris-         (Commission             (IRS Employer Iden-
   diction of incorporation)       File Number)            tification Number)


   1 Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey                   07417-1880
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code          (201) 847-6800
                                                            --------------

                                       N/A

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        (Former name or former addresses if changed since last report.)



Item 9.      REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE
             ------------------------

             The following statement is being furnished by the Company under the
             provisions of Regulation FD:

         On October 25, 2001, in the matter of Becton, Dickinson and Company, et
                                               ------  --------- --- -------  --
al. v. Usrey (Case No. 2-00-052-CV, Court of Appeals, Second District of Texas),
--     -----
the Court denied plaintiffs' motion that it reconsider its earlier ruling of
August 16, 2001, which reversed the trial court's certification of a class in
this case. One judge wrote a separate opinion stating that, in her view, the
lawsuit should have been dismissed altogether.

         Becton, Dickinson and Company believes that the Court of Appeals was
correct in standing by its ruling that class action certification was not
appropriate in this case. The Company will continue to defend this and other
pending matters vigorously.


                                  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.

                                           BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY
                                                  (Registrant)



                                           By: /s/ Kathleen M. Gibson
                                               -----------------------
                                                   Kathleen M. Gibson
                                                   Assistant Secretary


Date: November 1, 2001

                                        2