A flow-injection method for the determination of tiopronin in the range 1 x 10(-7)-7 x 10(-5) M is described. The procedure is based on the chemiluminescent reaction of tiopronin with cerium(IV) in sulphuric acid medium using rhodamine 6G and quinine as fluorophors. The flow-injection method is rapid and precise and allows measurements of up to 80 solutions per hour. The applicability of the method to the determination of tiopronin in pharmaceutical preparations was demonstrated by investigating the effect of potential interferences and by analysing commercial preparations. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.