A simple and sensitive kinetic method has been developed for the determination of ethamsylate (ESL) in its pharmaceutical preparations. The method is based upon oxidation of ESL with 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone hydrochloride in presence of cerium (IV) ammonium sulfate at room temperature for 20 min. The absorbance of the reaction product is measured at 514 nm. The absorbance-concentration plot was rectilinear over the range of 4-30 microg/mL (r = 0.9999). The lower detection limit was 0.267 microl/mL (9.110 x 10(-6) M) and the lower quantitation limit was 0.808 microg/mL. The different experimental parameters affecting the development and stability of the reaction product were studied and optimized. The proposed method was applied to the determination of ESL in formulations, and the results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained using a reference method. The proposed method was also used for the in vitro detection of ESL in spiked human plasma at its therapeutic concentration level.