<PAGE>


                                                Registration No. 33-
================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, D.C.

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

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

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

                         MEDICAL ACTION INDUSTRIES INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

        Delaware                                           11-2421849
(State or other Jurisdiction of                         (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization)                         Identification No.)

150 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, New York                        11735
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                    (Zip Code)

                1989 NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION PLAN, AS AMENDED
                            1994 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plans)

              RICHARD G. SATIN, VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
                         MEDICAL ACTION INDUSTRIES INC.
                                150 Motor Parkway
                            Hauppauge, New York 11788
                     (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

                                  (516)231-4600
          (Telephone number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================
                                      Proposed     Proposed
                                      Maximum      Maximum
Title of           Amount             Offering     Aggregate      Amount of
Securities to      to be              Price Per    Offering       Registration
be Registered      Registered         Share(1)     Price(1)       Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,
par value
$.001 per
share              1,000,000 shs(2)    $1.69        $1,690,000       $582.76
================================================================================
(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based

upon the closing price of the Company's Common Stock on the NASDAQ-National
Market System on October 25, 1996.

(2) In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement also covers an indeterminate number of additional shares
of Common Stock which may become issuable pursuant to anti-dilution and
adjustment provisions of the Plans.

<PAGE>

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.   Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

          The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration
Statement the documents listed in (a) through (c) below:

          (a)  The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to Section
               13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or either
               (I) the latest prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the
               Securities Act of 1933 that contains audited financial statements
               for the Registrant's latest fiscal year for which such statements
               have been filed or (II) the Registrant's effective registration
               statement on Form 10 filed under the Securities Exchange Act of
               1934 containing the audited financial statements for the
               Registrant's latest fiscal year;

          (b)  All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
               Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal year
               covered by the Registrant's documents referred to in (a) above;

          (c)  The description of the class of securities to be offered which is
               contained in a registration statement filed under Section 12 of
               the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including any amendment or
               report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

          All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all such securities then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

Item 4.   Description of Securities.

          Not applicable.


                                        2

<PAGE>

Item 5.   Interest of Named Experts and Counsel.

          Mr. Richard G. Satin, Vice President - General Counsel and Secretary
of the Company. Mr. Satin has been granted 75,000 options under the 1989
Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, as amended, at an exercise price of $1.75 per
share and 100,000 options under the 1994 Stock Incentive Plan, at exercise
prices ranging from $.97 to $2.375 per share.


Item 6.   Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

          Under provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of
the Registrant, each person who is or was a director or officer of Registrant
shall be indemnified by Registrant as of right to the full extent permitted or
authorized by the General Corporation Law of Delaware.

          Under such law, to the extent that such person is successful on the
merits of defense of a suit or proceeding brought against him by reason of the
fact that he is a director or officer of Registrant, he shall be indemnified
against expenses (including attorneys' fees) reasonably incurred in connection
with such action.

          If unsuccessful in defense of a third-party civil suit or a criminal
suit is settled, such a person shall be indemnified under such law against both
(1) expenses (including attorneys' fees) and (2) judgments, fines and amounts
paid in settlement if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably
believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Registrant, and with
respect to any criminal action, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct
was unlawful.

          If unsuccessful in defense of a suit brought by or in the right of
Registrant, or if such suit is settled, such a person shall be indemnified under
such law only against expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in the
defense or settlement of such suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he
reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of
Registrant, except that if such a person is adjudicated to be liable in such
suit for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to Registrant,
he cannot be made whole even for expenses unless the court determines that he is
fairly and reasonably entitled to be indemnified for such expenses.

Item 7.   Exemption from Registration Claimed.

          Not applicable.


                                        3

<PAGE>

Item 8.   Exhibits.

          4.1  1989 Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, as amended.

          4.2  1994 Stock Incentive Plan.

          5    Opinion and consent of Richard G. Satin, Vice President and 
               General Counsel, relating to the legality of securities under the
               1989 Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, as amended, and 1994 Stock
               Incentive Plan.

          23   Consent of Richard G. Satin, Vice President and General Counsel -
               included in his opinion filed as Exhibit 5.


          23   Consent of Ernst & Young, LLP.

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;

               (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
               Securities Act of 1933;

               (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
               after the effective date of the registration statement (or the
               most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
               or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
               information set forth in the registration statement;

               (iii) 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;


                                        4

<PAGE>

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the
registration statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8, and information required to be
included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to Sections 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the
registration statement.

          (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
          Securities Act of 1933, 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 of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
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.

          (h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.


                                        5

<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certified that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
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 Hauppauge, New York on the 23rd day of October, 1996.


                                       MEDICAL ACTION INDUSTRIES INC.



                                       By: s/ Paul D. Meringola
                                           ------------------------------
                                           Paul D. Meringola
                                           President


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed on October 23, 1996 by the following
persons in the capacities indicated. Each person whose signature appears below
constitutes and appoints Paul D. Meringola, with full power of substitution, our
true and lawful attorney and agent to do any and all acts and things in our name
and on our behalf in our capacities indicated below which we may deem necessary
or advisable to enable Medical Action Industries Inc. to comply with the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations and requirements
of the Securities and Exchange Commission, in connection with this Registration
Statement including specifically, but not limited to, power and authority to


                                        6

<PAGE>

sign for us or any of us in our names in the capacities stated below, any and
all amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto; and we do hereby
ratify and confirm all that we shall do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.


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



s/ Joseph Meringola                       Chairman of the Board
---------------------------------
Joseph Meringola



s/ Paul D. Meringola                      President and Director
---------------------------------
Paul D. Meringola


s/ Richard G. Satin                       Vice President and General
---------------------------------         Counsel and Director
Richard G. Satin                          


s/ Bernard Wengrover                      Director
---------------------------------
Bernard Wengrover


s/ Philip F. Corso                        Director
---------------------------------
Dr. Philip F. Corso


s/ Thomas A. Nicosia                      Director
---------------------------------
Dr. Thomas A. Nicosia


                                        7

<PAGE>

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, D.C.

================================================================================
                        MEDICAL ACTION INDUSTRIES INC.
================================================================================

                         Form S-8 Registration Statement

================================================================================

                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

================================================================================

                                                     Page No. in Sequential
Exhibit                                              Numbering of all Pages,
Number            Exhibit Description                including Exhibit Pages
------            -------------------                -----------------------

4.1         1989 Non-Qualified Stock
            Option Plan, as amended............                 9

4.2         1994 Stock Incentive Plan..........                14

5           Opinion and Consent of Counsel.....                26

23          Consent of Counsel.................     See Exhibit 5

23          Consent of Ernst & Young, LLP......                27
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "REGISTRATION STATEMENT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 15920}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "MEDICAL ACTION INDUSTRIES INC", "cik": "0000748270", "assigned-sic": "3842", "irs-number": "112421849", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0331"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-14993", "film-number": "96649065"}, "business-address": {"street1": "150 MOTOR PKWY", "city": "HAUPPAUGE", "state": "NY", "zip": "11788", "phone": "5162314600"}, "mail-address": {"street2": "150 MOTOR PKWY", "city": "HAUPPAUGE", "state": "NY", "zip": "11788"}}
Registration No. 33-
================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, D.C.

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

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

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

                         MEDICAL ACTION INDUSTRIES INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

        Delaware                                           11-2421849
(State or other Jurisdiction of                         (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization)                         Identification No.)

150 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, New York                        11735
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                    (Zip Code)

                1989 NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION PLAN, AS AMENDED
                            1994 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plans)

              RICHARD G. SATIN, VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
                         MEDICAL ACTION INDUSTRIES INC.
                                150 Motor Parkway
                            Hauppauge, New York 11788
                     (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

                                  (516)231-4600
          (Telephone number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================
                                      Proposed     Proposed
                                      Maximum      Maximum
Title of           Amount             Offering     Aggregate      Amount of
Securities to      to be              Price Per    Offering       Registration
be Registered      Registered         Share(1)     Price(1)       Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,
par value
$.001 per
share              1,000,000 shs(2)    $1.69        $1,690,000       $582.76
================================================================================
(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based

upon the closing price of the Company's Common Stock on the NASDAQ-National
Market System on October 25, 1996.

(2) In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement also covers an indeterminate number of additional shares
of Common Stock which may become issuable pursuant to anti-dilution and
adjustment provisions of the Plans.
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.   Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

          The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration
Statement the documents listed in (a) through (c) below:

          (a)  The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to Section
               13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or either
               (I) the latest prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the
               Securities Act of 1933 that contains audited financial statements
               for the Registrant's latest fiscal year for which such statements
               have been filed or (II) the Registrant's effective registration
               statement on Form 10 filed under the Securities Exchange Act of
               1934 containing the audited financial statements for the
               Registrant's latest fiscal year;

          (b)  All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
               Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal year
               covered by the Registrant's documents referred to in (a) above;

          (c)  The description of the class of securities to be offered which is
               contained in a registration statement filed under Section 12 of
               the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including any amendment or
               report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

          All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all such securities then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

Item 4.   Description of Securities.

          Not applicable.

                                        2
Item 5.   Interest of Named Experts and Counsel.

          Mr. Richard G. Satin, Vice President - General Counsel and Secretary
of the Company. Mr. Satin has been granted 75,000 options under the 1989
Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, as amended, at an exercise price of $1.75 per
share and 100,000 options under the 1994 Stock Incentive Plan, at exercise
prices ranging from $.97 to $2.375 per share.

Item 6.   Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

          Under provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of
the Registrant, each person who is or was a director or officer of Registrant
shall be indemnified by Registrant as of right to the full extent permitted or
authorized by the General Corporation Law of Delaware.

          Under such law, to the extent that such person is successful on the
merits of defense of a suit or proceeding brought against him by reason of the
fact that he is a director or officer of Registrant, he shall be indemnified
against expenses (including attorneys' fees) reasonably incurred in connection
with such action.

          If unsuccessful in defense of a third-party civil suit or a criminal
suit is settled, such a person shall be indemnified under such law against both
(1) expenses (including attorneys' fees) and (2) judgments, fines and amounts
paid in settlement if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably
believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Registrant, and with
respect to any criminal action, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct
was unlawful.

          If unsuccessful in defense of a suit brought by or in the right of
Registrant, or if such suit is settled, such a person shall be indemnified under
such law only against expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in the
defense or settlement of such suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he
reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of
Registrant, except that if such a person is adjudicated to be liable in such
suit for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to Registrant,
he cannot be made whole even for expenses unless the court determines that he is
fairly and reasonably entitled to be indemnified for such expenses.

Item 7.   Exemption from Registration Claimed.

          Not applicable.

                                        3
Item 8.   Exhibits.

          4.1  1989 Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, as amended.

          4.2  1994 Stock Incentive Plan.

          5    Opinion and consent of Richard G. Satin, Vice President and 
               General Counsel, relating to the legality of securities under the
               1989 Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, as amended, and 1994 Stock
               Incentive Plan.

          23   Consent of Richard G. Satin, Vice President and General Counsel -
               included in his opinion filed as Exhibit 5.

          23   Consent of Ernst & Young, LLP.

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;

               (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
               Securities Act of 1933;

               (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
               after the effective date of the registration statement (or the
               most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
               or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
               information set forth in the registration statement;

               (iii) 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;

                                        4
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the
registration statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8, and information required to be
included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to Sections 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the
registration statement.

          (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
          Securities Act of 1933, 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 of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
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.

          (h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                        5
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certified that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
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 Hauppauge, New York on the 23rd day of October, 1996.

                                       MEDICAL ACTION INDUSTRIES INC.

                                       By: s/ Paul D. Meringola
                                           ------------------------------
                                           Paul D. Meringola
                                           President

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed on October 23, 1996 by the following
persons in the capacities indicated. Each person whose signature appears below
constitutes and appoints Paul D. Meringola, with full power of substitution, our
true and lawful attorney and agent to do any and all acts and things in our name
and on our behalf in our capacities indicated below which we may deem necessary
or advisable to enable Medical Action Industries Inc. to comply with the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations and requirements
of the Securities and Exchange Commission, in connection with this Registration
Statement including specifically, but not limited to, power and authority to

                                        6
sign for us or any of us in our names in the capacities stated below, any and
all amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto; and we do hereby
ratify and confirm all that we shall do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

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

s/ Joseph Meringola                       Chairman of the Board
---------------------------------
Joseph Meringola

s/ Paul D. Meringola                      President and Director
---------------------------------
Paul D. Meringola

s/ Richard G. Satin                       Vice President and General
---------------------------------         Counsel and Director
Richard G. Satin                          

s/ Bernard Wengrover                      Director
---------------------------------
Bernard Wengrover

s/ Philip F. Corso                        Director
---------------------------------
Dr. Philip F. Corso

s/ Thomas A. Nicosia                      Director
---------------------------------
Dr. Thomas A. Nicosia

                                        7
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, D.C.

================================================================================
                        MEDICAL ACTION INDUSTRIES INC.
================================================================================

                         Form S-8 Registration Statement

================================================================================

                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

================================================================================

                                                     Page No. in Sequential
Exhibit                                              Numbering of all Pages,
Number            Exhibit Description                including Exhibit Pages
------            -------------------                -----------------------

4.1         1989 Non-Qualified Stock
            Option Plan, as amended............                 9

4.2         1994 Stock Incentive Plan..........                14

5           Opinion and Consent of Counsel.....                26

23          Consent of Counsel.................     See Exhibit 5

23          Consent of Ernst & Young, LLP......                27