The interactions of the drug chloramphenicol with glycine and its dipeptide i.e. glycylglycine have been investigated in aqueous medium from density (rho) and speed of sound(c) measurements at T = (288.15, 298.15, 308.15, 318.15) K and experimental pressure p = 0.1 MPa. The apparent molar volume (V-phi), the partial molar volume (V-phi(o)) and standard partial molar volumes of transfer (Delta V-phi(o)) for glycine and its dipeptide, from water to aqueous chloramphenicol have been calculated from density values. The limiting apparent molar expansibilities have also been calculated. The apparent molar isentropic compression (K-phi,K-s), partial molar isentropic compression (K-phi,s(o)) and partial molar isentropic compression of transfer (Delta K-phi,s(o)) have been calculated from speed of sound values. The pair and triplet interaction coefficient have been calculated from both the properties. The absorption spectra have also been recorded for present mixtures with the help of UV-visible spectrophotometer. A detailed insight into the physicochemical interactions e.g. ion-hydrophilic, hydrophilic-hydrophilic and hydrophilic-hydrophobic interactions in the glycine/glycylglycine-drug system along with the structure-making/structure-breaking tendency of the glycine and its dipeptide have been retrieved through the perusal of these calculated parameters. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.