A simple and rapid method for the determination of ferulic acid in pharmaceutical formulations by didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB)/Nafion composite film-modified carbon paste electrode is presented. The electrochemical behavior of ferulic acid at the proposed electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and a well-defined oxidation peak was observed at +0.44 V versus saturated calomel electrode in 0.1 M acetate buffer (pH 5.5) solutions. Some experimental parameters affecting the electrochemical response of the modified electrode were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the oxidation peak currents of ferulic acid increase linearly with the concentration of ferulic acid in the range from 2.0 x 10(-6) to 1.2 x 10(-4) M with a detection limit of 3.9 x 10(-7) M (S/N = 3). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of ferulic acid in pharmaceutical tablets.