Two sensitive, spectrophotometric and atomic absorption spectrometric procedures are developed for the determination of two antihypertensive agents (enalapril maleate and ramipril). The spectrophotometric procedures for the two cited drugs are based on ternary complex formation. The first ternary complex (copper(II), eosin, and enalapril) was estimated by two methods; the first depends on its extraction with chloroform measuring at 533.4 nm. Beer's law was obeyed in concentration range from 56 to 112 microg ml(-1). The second method for the same complex depends on its direct measurement after addition of methylcellulose as surfactant at the pH value 5 at 558.8 nm. The concentration range is from 19 to 32 microg ml(-1). The second ternary complex (iron(III), thiocyanate, and ramipril) was extracted with methylene chloride, measuring at 436.6 nm, with a concentration range 60-132 microg ml(-1). The direct atomic absorption spectrometric method through the quantitative determination of copper or iron content of the complex was also investigated for the purpose of enhancing the sensitivity of the determination. The spectrophotometric and atomic absorption spectrometric procedures hold their accuracy and precision well when applied to the determination of ramipril and enalapril dosage forms.