ABSTRACT
The famous classical formulas （FCF）， which occupy the most important position in the prescription theory， had been brought out following the progress of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. Its formation and exploitation， essentially the ingredient constitution and preparation technology， is an objective trend of TCM. The development of related product under the guidance of relevant national policies has its historical inevitability， as the development of formula granules in recent decades had laid a solid foundation for it. The key to exploit these FCF is to refine and standardize the clinical applications through the ages with the guidance of TCM theory， for the process design of massive industrial production. As a result of the analysis of its definition and connotation， it is clear that the core connotation of FCF is the medicinal substances with fixed formula compatibility and stable preparation process. Furthermore， the screening strategy， the exploitation value， and the applicability between ancient prescriptions and nowadays diseases， had also been discussed based on the current policy situation and research status.