OBJECTIVE: To optimize and improve the quality standard for Chuanshen capsules. METHODS: Referring to 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopeia (Ⅰ), Salvia miltiorrhizae, Chuanxiong rhizome, Carthami flos and Paeonia radix rubra were identified qualitatively by TLC. The contents of ferulic acid and tanshinone ⅡA were determined by HPLC. The determination of ferulic acid and tanshinone ⅡA were performed on Kromasil C18 column with mobile phase consisted of methanol-1% acetic acid solution (30 ∶ 70,V/V) and methanol-water (85 ∶ 15, V/V) at the flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. The detection wavelengths were set at 321 nm and 270 nm. The column temperature was set at 40 ℃ and 25 ℃. The sample sizes were 10 μL and 20 μL. RESULTS: In TLC of S. miltiorrhizae, C. rhizome, C. flos and Paeonia radix rubra test samples, same color spots were shown in the corresponding positions of the control chromatogram. The linear range of ferulic acid and tanshinone ⅡA were 4.48-112.00 and 5.88-210.00 μg/mL (R2=0.999 0, 0.999 9), respectively. The average recoveries were 102.22% and 102.23% (RSD=1.63%, 1.22%, n=6), respectively. RSDs of precision, stability and reproducibility tests were all lower than 2% (n=6). The average contents of them were 0.118 4 and 0.221 mg/capsule (n=3), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study improves the quality standard of Chuanshen capsules with qualitative and quantitative methods, and preliminarily fomulated the content of ferulic acid is not less than 0.10 mg/capsule and tanshinone ⅡA is not less than 0.18 mg/capsule.