Ranitidine hydrochloride in tablets (T) and injections (I) was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UVS) at 313 nm and visible spectrophotometry (VISS) at 615 nm, after reaction with 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone hydrochloride (MBTH) and ferric chloride. For UVS, Beer's law was obeyed in the range 5.0 – 18.0 μg/mL. The coefficients of variation (CV) for the samples T were 0.36% and 0.71% and for the samples I were 0.51% and 0.24%. The recovery average (RA) was 99.88%. For UVS, Beer's law was observed in the range 1.44 – 5.76 μg/mL. The CV for T were 0.72% and 0.59%, and for I were 0.53% and 0.61%. The RA was 99.39%. The precision and accuracy of the two methods were compared.