EXHIBIT 24

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director and/or
officer of Meridian Medical Technologies, Inc. a corporation organized under
the laws of the state of Delaware (the "Corporation"), hereby constitutes and
appoints James H. Miller, Dennis P. O'Brien, Steven Kaplan, Richard E. Baltz
and Virginia W. Liao and each of them (with full power to each of them to act
alone), his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents for him and
her on his or her behalf and in his or her name, place and stead, in all cases
with full power of substitution and resubstitution, in any and all capacities,
to sign, execute and affix his or her seal to and file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (or any other governmental or regulatory authority) a
Registration Statement on Form S-8 or any other appropriate form, all
amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto and any related
registration statement filed in accordance with Rule 462(b) under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with all exhibits and any and all
documents required to be filed with respect thereto, relating to the
registration of shares of common stock, par value $0.10 per share, of the
Corporation issuable pursuant to the Corporation's Employee Stock Purchase
Plan, and grants to each of them full power and authority to do and to perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about
the premises in order to effectuate the same as fully and to all intents and
purposes as he himself or she herself might or could do if personally present,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or
any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

IN WITNESS HEREOF, the undersigned director and/or officer has hereunto
set his or her hand and seal, as of the date specified.

Signature Title Date
- --------- ----- ----

/s/ James H. Miller Chairman of the Board, January 11, 2001
- ------------------------ President and CEO (Principal Executive
James H. Miller Officer)

/s/ Dennis P. O'Brien Vice President and Chief Financial January 11, 2001
- ------------------------ Officer (Principal Financial and
Dennis P. O'Brien Accounting Officer)

/s/ Bruce M. Dresner Director January 11, 2001
- ------------------------
Bruce M. Dresner

/s/ Robert G. Foster Director January 11, 2001
- ------------------------
Robert G. Foster

Director January 11, 2001
- ------------------------
E. Andrews Grinstead, III

/s/ David L. Lougee Director January 11, 2001
- ------------------------
David L. Lougee