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                UNITED STATES 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

                                 April 21, 2003
          -----------------------------------------------------------
                        (Date of earliest event reported}


                           MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
          ------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



           Utah                        0-18592                   87-0447695
-----------------------------   ----------------------       -----------------
(State or other jurisdiction     (Commission File No.)       (IRS Employer
   of incorporation)                                         Identification No.)



                             1600 West Merit Parkway
                            South Jordan, Utah 84095
         ------------------------------------------------------------
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (801) 253-1600



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Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c)      Exhibits

99.1     Press Release Announcing Financial Results, Issued April 21, 2003


Item 9.  Regulation FD Disclosure (including Item 12 information).

         In  accordance  with  Securities  and Exchange  Commission  Release No.
33-8216, the following information, which is intended to be furnished under Item
12,  "Results of Operations and Financial  Condition," is being  furnished under
this Item 9, "Regulation FD Disclosure."

         On April 21, 2003, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. ("Merit") issued a press
release  announcing  financial  results for the first quarter of 2003. The press
release is  furnished  herewith as Exhibit  99.1 and is  incorporated  herein by
reference.

Forward-Looking Statements

         Statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including exhibits, that
are not purely historical facts, including statements regarding Merit's beliefs,
expectations,  intentions or strategies for the future, may be  "forward-looking
statements"  under the Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of 1995.  All
forward-looking  statements  involve a number of risks  and  uncertainties  that
could cause actual results to differ  materially from the plans,  intentions and
expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking  statements.  Such
risks and  uncertainties  include,  among others,  market  acceptance of Merit's
products, product introductions,  potential product recalls, delays in obtaining
regulatory  approvals,  cost  increases,  fluctuations  in and  obsolescence  of
inventory,  price and product competition,  availability of labor and materials,
development  of new products and techniques  that could render Merit's  products
obsolete, product liability claims, infringing technology,  inability to protect
Merit's  proprietary  technology,  foreign currency  fluctuations and changes in
health  care  markets  related to health  care  reform  initiatives.  Additional
information with respect to the factors and events that could cause  differences
between  forward-looking  statements  and future results is contained in Merit's
filings with the Securities and Exchange  Commission,  including  Merit's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  December 31, 2002.  Merit  undertakes no
obligation  to  update  any  forward-looking  statement  to  reflect  events  or
circumstances that may arise after the date of this filing.



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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended,  the  registrant  has duly caused this Current Report on Form 8-K to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                          MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.

                          By: /s/ Kent W. Stanger
                              -------------------------------------------------
                                  Kent W. Stanger, Chief Financial Officer,
                                  Secretary and Treasurer

April 21, 2003



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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

   EXHIBIT
   NUMBER                            DESCRIPTION
  --------  -------------------------------------------------------------------

     99.2   Press Release Announcing Financial Results, Issued April 21, 2003







                                       4




                              MERIT MEDICAL [logo]
                1600 West Merit Parkway o South Jordan, UT 84095
                   Telephone: 801-253-1600 o Fax: 801-253-1688

                                  PRESS RELEASE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
---------------------

Date:                      April 21, 2003
Contact:                   Nancy E. Schultz, Director, Corporate Communications
Phone:                     (801) 208-4167   Fax:  (801) 253-6998
e-mail:                    nschultz@merit.com
Web Address:               www.merit.com

       MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC. REPORTS 61 PERCENT RISE IN NET INCOME
INCLUDING EXTRA ITEMS ON RECORD REVENUES OF $31.7 MILLION FOR FIRST QUARTER 2003

         SOUTH JORDAN,  UTAH--Merit  Medical Systems,  Inc. (NASDAQ:  NMS:MMSI),
today  reported  net  income  of $3.8  million,  or $0.25 per  share,  on record
revenues of $31.7 million for its first  quarter  ended March 31, 2003.  The net
income  and per share  figures  include a gain  from the  settlement  of a legal
dispute  and sale of land in the amount of $512,317  (net of tax),  or $0.03 per
share.  For the first quarter of 2002,  the Company  reported net income of $2.3
million, or $0.16 per share, on revenues of $28.7 million.

         All product  categories of the Company's  business  contributed  to its
revenue growth in the first quarter of 2003. Sales of inflation  devices rose 15
percent,  stand-alone  device sales grew by 12 percent,  custom kit sales rose 7
percent and catheter sales rose by 3 percent.

         Fred P.  Lampropoulos,  Chairman and Chief Executive  Officer of Merit,
said,  "We are  extremely  pleased  with the growth of our revenues in the first
quarter of this year,  which were $1.8 million  above our  forecast.  Sales grew
across the board,  coming  from our OEM  division as well as  international  and
domestic sales.

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         "Sales of our  inflation  devices  were driven  primarily  by increased
orders from our hospital customers due to our Broadlane/Tenet agreement, as well
as growth in spinal  procedures  using our  digital  inflation  technology.  New
contracts  with  HealthTrust  and Consorta in part  contributed  to  stand-alone
device sales growth. In addition, our new safety needle added a large portion to
the growth in our needle product line.

         "Gross  margins in the quarter  were 290 basis  points over last year's
first quarter.  Our operating expenses declined as a percent of sales during the
quarter to yield a 15.6 percent operating  margin,  the second highest quarterly
operating margin we've ever experienced," continued Mr. Lampropoulos.

         The gross profit  margin for the first quarter of 2003 was 41.8 percent
of sales,  compared  with 38.9 percent of sales in the first quarter of 2002. In
the 2003 first quarter,  selling, general and administrative costs declined as a
percent  of sales to 22.7  percent,  compared  with 23.4  percent  for the first
quarter of 2002.  Research and  development  costs for the first quarter of 2003
were 3.5  percent  of sales,  compared  with 3.4  percent  of sales in the prior
year's period.  Total operating  expenses declined as a percent of sales to 26.2
percent, compared with 26.7 percent for the same period in 2002.

         The  Company  noted  that  inventories  declined  by $1  million  since
year-end to $17.7  million as of March 31,  2003.  Additionally,  cash flow from
operations  was over $7 million for the  quarter,  bringing  total cash to $16.2
million at quarter end.


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INCOME STATEMENT
                                               3 Mos. Ended 3/31
                                             2003             2002
                                         ------------    ------------
                                       (In Thousands Except Share Data)

REVENUES                                 $     31,741    $     28,672
COST OF SALES                                  18,470          17,520
                                         ------------    ------------
GROSS PROFIT                                   13,271          11,152
OPERATING EXPENSES:
   Selling, General and Administration          7,190           6,705
   Research and Development                     1,116             964
                                         ------------    ------------
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES                        8,306           7,669
OPERATING INCOME                                4,965           3,483
Other (Income) Expense - net                      (68)             60
Litigation Settlement                            (475)           --
Gain on Sale of Land                             (326)           --
                                         ------------    ------------
TOTAL OTHER (INCOME) EXPENSE - NET               (869)             60

PRETAX INCOME                                   5,834           3,423
INCOME TAX EXPENSE                              2,082           1,096
                                         ------------    ------------
NET INCOME                               $      3,752    $      2,327
                                         ============    ============
EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE:
   Basic                                 $       0.27    $       0.17
   Diluted                               $       0.25    $       0.16
AVERAGE COMMON SHARES:
   Basic                                   14,081,020      13,415,144
   Diluted                                 14,936,476      14,511,719

                                  BALANCE SHEET

                                           03/31/03        12/31/02
                                         ------------    ------------
                                           (Dollars In  Thousands)
ASSETS

Cash                                     $     16,165    $     9,684
Trade Receivables (Net)                        16,189         15,248
Inventories                                    17,701         18,699
Other Current Assets                            2,438          2,537
                                         ------------    ------------
Total Current Assets                     $     52,493    $   $46,168
Property & Equipment (Net)                     26,393         25,412
Other Assets                                    6,661          6,725
                                         ------------    ------------
TOTAL ASSETS                             $     85,547    $   $78,305
                                         ============    ============

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Total Current Liabilities                $  $  13,979    $   $11,586
Other Liabilities                               3,197          3,304

Long-Term Debt                                      0             17

Stockholders' Equity                           68,371         63,398
                                         ------------    ------------
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND
    STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY                 $     85,547    $   $78,305
                                         ============    ============


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CONFERENCE CALL

         Merit Medical  invites all  interested  parties to join its officers in
their quarterly  earnings  conference call to be held today,  April 21,2003,  at
5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 4:00 p.m. Central, 3:00 p.m. Mountain, and 2:00
p.m.  Pacific.   The  telephone  numbers  are:   Domestic:   800-218-0713,   and
International:  303-262-2075.  A  rebroadcast  is  available  on the Internet by
accessing the CCBN logo under  "Webcasts" at  www.merit.com.  The rebroadcast is
also  available at  www.ccbn.com.  There is no other  replay for the  conference
call.

ABOUT MERIT

         Founded in 1987,  Merit Medical Systems is engaged in the  development,
manufacture and distribution of proprietary  disposable medical products used in
interventional  and  diagnostic  procedures,   particularly  in  cardiology  and
radiology.  The Company  serves client  hospitals  worldwide with a domestic and
international sales force totaling  approximately 70 individuals.  Merit Medical
employs approximately 1,100 individuals worldwide, with manufacturing facilities
in South Jordan and Salt Lake City,  Utah;  Santa Clara,  California;  Angleton,
Texas;  and Galway,  Ireland.  For more information  about Merit Medical,  visit
www.merit.com.

         This document includes "Forward-Looking  Statements" within the meaning
of Section 27A of the  Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended.  All  statements  other  than
statements of historical fact are  "Forward-Looking  Statements" for purposes of
these  provisions,  including  any  projections  of earnings,  revenues or other
financial  items,  any  statements of the plans and objectives of management for
future operations,  any statements concerning proposed new products or services,
any statements  regarding  future economic  conditions or  performance,  and any
statements of assumptions  underlying any of the foregoing.  All Forward-Looking
Statements  included  in this  document  are made as of the date  hereof and are
based on  information  available  to the  Company as of such date.  The  Company
assumes no obligation to update any  Forward-Looking  Statement.  In some cases,
Forward-Looking  Statements can be identified by the use of terminology  such as
"may,"  "will,"  "expects,"  "plans,"  "anticipates,"  "intends" or  "believes,"
"estimates,"  "potential,"  or  "continue,"  or the  negative  thereof  or other
comparable  terminology.  Although the Company  believes  that the  expectations
reflected in the  Forward-Looking  Statements  contained  herein are reasonable,
there can be no assurance that such  expectations or any of the  Forward-Looking
Statements will prove to be correct,  and actual results could differ materially
from  those  projected  or  assumed in the  Forward-Looking  Statements.  Future
financial  condition and results of operations,  as well as any  Forward-Looking
Statements are subject to inherent  risks and  uncertainties,  including  market
acceptance of the Company's products,  product introductions,  potential product
recalls, delays in obtaining regulatory approvals, cost increases,  fluctuations
in and obsolescence of inventory, price and product competition, availability of
labor and materials,  development of new products and techniques that render the
Company's products obsolete,  product liability claims,  infringing  technology,
inability to protect our proprietary technology,  foreign currency fluctuations,
changes in health care  markets  related to health care reform  initiatives  and
other factors referred to in the Company's press releases and reports filed with
the   Securities   and  Exchange   Commission   (the  "SEC").   All   subsequent
Forward-Looking  Statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its
behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.

                                       # # #


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