<PAGE>
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
                              ____________________

                                    FORM S-8

            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                              --------------------

                         BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

      New Jersey                                         22-076120
 (State or other jurisdiction                        (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)                    Identification No.)

1 Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey                    07417-1880
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                      (Zip Code)

         Becton, Dickinson and Company Global Share Investment Program
                            (Full title of the plan)
                              Raymond P. Ohlmuller
                          Vice President and Secretary
             1 Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey  07417-1880
                    (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (201) 847-7101
                    (Telephone number, including area code,
                             of agent for service)
                             ---------------------

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE> 
<CAPTION> 

                                   Proposed    Proposed
                                   maximum     maximum
                         Amount    offering    aggregate       Amount of
Title of securities      to be     price       offering       registration
to be registered       registered  per share   price              fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                    <C>         <C>        <C>             <C>
Common Stock, par      250,000     $65.13     $16,282,500*    $5,614.66
value $1.00 per        shares
share
</TABLE> 
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant
to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933.  Based upon a price of $65.13
per share which represents the average of the high and low prices on the New
York Stock Exchange (Composite Transactions) on November 7, 1995.
<PAGE>
 
                                    PART I.

             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS*



Item 1.  Plan Information.

Item 2.  Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

- --------------------

*    Information required by Part I of Form S-8 to be contained in a prospectus
     meeting the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933
     (the "Securities Act") is omitted from this registration statement in
     accordance with the Note to the instructions for Part I of Form S-8.



                                      I-1
<PAGE>
 
                                    PART II.

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT



Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
         ----------------------------------------

     The following documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
by Becton, Dickinson and Company (the "Company") are incorporated herein by
reference and made a part hereof:

 .    The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
     September 30, 1994;

 .    All other reports filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d)
     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") since September
     30, 1994; and

 .    The description of the Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, contained
     in a registration statement filed by the Company under the Exchange Act,
     including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
     description.

     All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a),
13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all securities offered pursuant to the Becton,
Dickinson and Company Global Share Investment Program (the "Plan") have been
sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed
to be incorporated herein by reference and shall be a part hereof from the date
of the filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.
         --------------------------

     Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
         ---------------------------------------

     Not applicable.


                                      II-1
<PAGE>
 
Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
         ------------------------------------------

     Article XI of the bylaws of the Company provides as follows:

         "The Company shall indemnify to the full extent authorized or permitted
     by the New Jersey Business Corporation Act, any corporate agent (as defined
     in said Act), or his legal representative, made, or threatened to be made,
     a party to any action, suit or proceeding (whether civil, criminal,
     administrative or investigative) by reason of the fact that he is or was a
     corporate agent of this Company."

     The New Jersey Business Corporation Act permits or requires indemnification
of officers and directors in the event that certain statutory standards of
conduct are met.  Consistent with that statute, the Company has entered into
indemnification agreements with its directors and officers whereby the Company
has agreed to indemnify them and advance them their defense, investigation,
witness and/or participation fees and expenses except in circumstances whereby a
request for indemnification (a) is on account of an illegal renumeration to the
indemnitee, (b) is for an accounting of the indemnitee's profits from the
purchase or sale of the Company's securities pursuant to Section 16(b) of the
Exchange Act or any amendments thereto or similar provisions of any federal,
state or local statutory law, (c) is based upon acts or omissions of the
indemnitee which were in breach of the indemnitee's duty of loyalty to the
Company or its shareholders, were not in good faith or involved a knowing
violation of law, or resulted in an improper personal benefit to the indemnitee,
or (d) is unlawful.

     The Company maintains policies of insurance under which the respective
directors and officers (as defined therein) of the Company are insured subject
to specified exclusions and deductible and maximum amounts against loss arising
from any civil claim or claims which may be made against any director or officer
(as so defined) of the Company by reason of any breach of duty, neglect, error,
misstatement, misleading statement, omission or act done or alleged to have been
done while acting in their respective capacities.

Item 7.  Exemption From Registration Claimed.
         ------------------------------------

     Not applicable.



                                      II-2
<PAGE>
 
Item 8.   Exhibits.
          ---------

     4(a) Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended January 22, 1990.

     4(b) By-Laws, as amended May 30, 1989.

     23   Consent of Independent Auditors.

Item 9.   Undertakings.
          -------------

     A.   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement.

         (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

     B.  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.



                                      II-3
<PAGE>
 
                                   SIGNATURES
                                   ----------

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the Borough of Franklin Lakes, State of New Jersey, on the 9th
day of November, 1995.

                                  BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY


                                  By:/s/Raymond P. Ohlmuller
                                     -----------------------------------
                                     Raymond P. Ohlmuller
                                     Vice President and Secretary

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on the 9th day of November, 1995.

    Signature                              Title
    ---------                              -----


/s/Harry N. Beaty, M.D.                    Director
- ------------------------------                     
Harry N. Beaty, M.D.


/s/Henry P. Becton, Jr.                    Director
- ------------------------------                     
Henry P. Becton, Jr.


/s/Clateo Castellini                       Director, Chairman of the
- ------------------------------             Board, President and  
Clateo Castellini                          Chief Executive Officer      
                                           (Principal Executive Officer) 


/s/Gerald M. Edelman, M.D.                 Director
- ------------------------------                     
Gerald M. Edelman, M.D.


/s/Edmund B. Fitzgerald                    Director
- ------------------------------                     
Edmund B. Fitzgerald


/s/John W. Galiardo                        Director, Vice Chairman of
- ------------------------------             the Board and General Counsel
John W. Galiardo


/s/Richard W. Hanselman                    Director
- ------------------------------                     
Richard W. Hanselman




                                      II-4
<PAGE>
 
    Signature                              Title
    ---------                              -----

/s/Edward J. Ludwig                        Senior Vice President-
- ------------------------------             Finance and Chief Financial
Edward J. Ludwig                           Officer
                                           (Principal Financial and Accounting
                                           Officer)

 
/s/Frank A. Olson                          Director
- ------------------------------                     
Frank A. Olson


/s/James E. Perrella                       Director
- ------------------------------                     
James E. Perrella


/s/Gloria M. Shatto                        Director
- ------------------------------                     
Gloria M. Shatto


/s/Raymond S. Troubh                       Director
- ------------------------------                     
Raymond S. Troubh




                                      II-5
<PAGE>
 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
                                 -------------



Exhibit
Number        Description of Exhibit               Method of Filing
- -------       ----------------------               ----------------

4(a)          Restated Certificate of              Incorporated by reference
              Incorporation, as amended            to Exhibit 3(a) to the
              January 22, 1990                     registrant's Annual Report
                                                   on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                                                   year ended September 30, 1990

4(b)          By-Laws, as amended May 30, 1989     Incorporated by reference
                                                   to Exhibit 3(b) to the
                                                   registrant's Annual Report
                                                   on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                                                   year ended September 30, 1989

23            Consent of                           Filed with this
              Independent Auditors                 registration statement


                                      II-6
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 13872}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "BECTON DICKINSON & CO", "cik": "0000010795", "assigned-sic": "3841", "irs-number": "220760120", "state-of-incorporation": "NJ", "fiscal-year-end": "0930"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "033-64115", "film-number": "95588873"}, "business-address": {"street1": "ONE BECTON DR", "city": "FRANKLIN LAKES", "state": "NJ", "zip": "07417-1880", "phone": "2018476800"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "ONE BECTON DR", "city": "FRANKLIN LAKE", "state": "NJ", "zip": "07417"}}
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
                              ____________________

                                    FORM S-8

            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                              --------------------

                         BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

      New Jersey                                         22-076120
 (State or other jurisdiction                        (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)                    Identification No.)

1 Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey                    07417-1880
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                      (Zip Code)

         Becton, Dickinson and Company Global Share Investment Program
                            (Full title of the plan)
                              Raymond P. Ohlmuller
                          Vice President and Secretary
             1 Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey  07417-1880
                    (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (201) 847-7101
                    (Telephone number, including area code,
                             of agent for service)
                             ---------------------

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed    Proposed
                                   maximum     maximum
                         Amount    offering    aggregate       Amount of
Title of securities      to be     price       offering       registration
to be registered       registered  per share   price              fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, par      250,000     $65.13     $16,282,500*    $5,614.66
value $1.00 per        shares
share
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant
to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933.  Based upon a price of $65.13
per share which represents the average of the high and low prices on the New
York Stock Exchange (Composite Transactions) on November 7, 1995.
PART I.

             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS*

Item 1.  Plan Information.

Item 2.  Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

- --------------------

*    Information required by Part I of Form S-8 to be contained in a prospectus
     meeting the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933
     (the "Securities Act") is omitted from this registration statement in
     accordance with the Note to the instructions for Part I of Form S-8.

                                      I-1
PART II.

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
         ----------------------------------------

     The following documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
by Becton, Dickinson and Company (the "Company") are incorporated herein by
reference and made a part hereof:

 .    The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
     September 30, 1994;

 .    All other reports filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d)
     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") since September
     30, 1994; and

 .    The description of the Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, contained
     in a registration statement filed by the Company under the Exchange Act,
     including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
     description.

     All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a),
13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all securities offered pursuant to the Becton,
Dickinson and Company Global Share Investment Program (the "Plan") have been
sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed
to be incorporated herein by reference and shall be a part hereof from the date
of the filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.
         --------------------------

     Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
         ---------------------------------------

     Not applicable.

                                      II-1
Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
         ------------------------------------------

     Article XI of the bylaws of the Company provides as follows:

         "The Company shall indemnify to the full extent authorized or permitted
     by the New Jersey Business Corporation Act, any corporate agent (as defined
     in said Act), or his legal representative, made, or threatened to be made,
     a party to any action, suit or proceeding (whether civil, criminal,
     administrative or investigative) by reason of the fact that he is or was a
     corporate agent of this Company."

     The New Jersey Business Corporation Act permits or requires indemnification
of officers and directors in the event that certain statutory standards of
conduct are met.  Consistent with that statute, the Company has entered into
indemnification agreements with its directors and officers whereby the Company
has agreed to indemnify them and advance them their defense, investigation,
witness and/or participation fees and expenses except in circumstances whereby a
request for indemnification (a) is on account of an illegal renumeration to the
indemnitee, (b) is for an accounting of the indemnitee's profits from the
purchase or sale of the Company's securities pursuant to Section 16(b) of the
Exchange Act or any amendments thereto or similar provisions of any federal,
state or local statutory law, (c) is based upon acts or omissions of the
indemnitee which were in breach of the indemnitee's duty of loyalty to the
Company or its shareholders, were not in good faith or involved a knowing
violation of law, or resulted in an improper personal benefit to the indemnitee,
or (d) is unlawful.

     The Company maintains policies of insurance under which the respective
directors and officers (as defined therein) of the Company are insured subject
to specified exclusions and deductible and maximum amounts against loss arising
from any civil claim or claims which may be made against any director or officer
(as so defined) of the Company by reason of any breach of duty, neglect, error,
misstatement, misleading statement, omission or act done or alleged to have been
done while acting in their respective capacities.

Item 7.  Exemption From Registration Claimed.
         ------------------------------------

     Not applicable.

                                      II-2
Item 8.   Exhibits.
          ---------

     4(a) Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended January 22, 1990.

     4(b) By-Laws, as amended May 30, 1989.

     23   Consent of Independent Auditors.

Item 9.   Undertakings.
          -------------

     A.   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement.

         (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

     B.  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

                                      II-3
SIGNATURES
                                   ----------

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the Borough of Franklin Lakes, State of New Jersey, on the 9th
day of November, 1995.

                                  BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY

                                  By:/s/Raymond P. Ohlmuller
                                     -----------------------------------
                                     Raymond P. Ohlmuller
                                     Vice President and Secretary

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on the 9th day of November, 1995.

    Signature                              Title
    ---------                              -----

/s/Harry N. Beaty, M.D.                    Director
- ------------------------------                     
Harry N. Beaty, M.D.

/s/Henry P. Becton, Jr.                    Director
- ------------------------------                     
Henry P. Becton, Jr.

/s/Clateo Castellini                       Director, Chairman of the
- ------------------------------             Board, President and  
Clateo Castellini                          Chief Executive Officer      
                                           (Principal Executive Officer) 

/s/Gerald M. Edelman, M.D.                 Director
- ------------------------------                     
Gerald M. Edelman, M.D.

/s/Edmund B. Fitzgerald                    Director
- ------------------------------                     
Edmund B. Fitzgerald

/s/John W. Galiardo                        Director, Vice Chairman of
- ------------------------------             the Board and General Counsel
John W. Galiardo

/s/Richard W. Hanselman                    Director
- ------------------------------                     
Richard W. Hanselman

                                      II-4
Signature                              Title
    ---------                              -----

/s/Edward J. Ludwig                        Senior Vice President-
- ------------------------------             Finance and Chief Financial
Edward J. Ludwig                           Officer
                                           (Principal Financial and Accounting
                                           Officer)

 
/s/Frank A. Olson                          Director
- ------------------------------                     
Frank A. Olson

/s/James E. Perrella                       Director
- ------------------------------                     
James E. Perrella

/s/Gloria M. Shatto                        Director
- ------------------------------                     
Gloria M. Shatto

/s/Raymond S. Troubh                       Director
- ------------------------------                     
Raymond S. Troubh

                                      II-5
EXHIBIT INDEX
                                 -------------

Exhibit
Number        Description of Exhibit               Method of Filing
- -------       ----------------------               ----------------

4(a)          Restated Certificate of              Incorporated by reference
              Incorporation, as amended            to Exhibit 3(a) to the
              January 22, 1990                     registrant's Annual Report
                                                   on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                                                   year ended September 30, 1990

4(b)          By-Laws, as amended May 30, 1989     Incorporated by reference
                                                   to Exhibit 3(b) to the
                                                   registrant's Annual Report
                                                   on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                                                   year ended September 30, 1989

23            Consent of                           Filed with this
              Independent Auditors                 registration statement

                                      II-6