A simple, accurate and sensitive kinetic method for the determination of acebutolol HC1 (I) and atenolol (II) in pure form and in pharmaceutical preparations was developed. The procedure is based upon a kinetic investigation of the reaction using alkaline potassium permanganate at room temperature for a fixed time of 20 min. The absorbance of the coloured manganate ion was measured at 609 and 608 nm respectively. The absorbance- concentration plots for both drugs were rectilinear over the range 8-24 and12-40 µg ml^-1 for (I) and (II), respectively.
The concentration of (I) and (II) were calculated using the corresponding calibration equation for fixed-time method The determination of the studied drugs by fixed concentration and fixed absorbance methods were feasible with the calibration equation obtained to be more applicable. The procedure was applied successfully to pharmaceutical formulations and the results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained using official method.