The release kinetics research of sustained-release formulations of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) is an inalienable part of the chain of TCM modernization, which plays an important role in the development of modern compound TCM preparation.  However, the research method or pattern in line with the specific  characteristics of TCM, i.e., multi-component and multi-target, is still lacking.  On the basis of material rough set theory, this paper reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of the existing evaluation patterns and methods, a tentative idea about the “total amount” release characteristics evaluation on TCM compound sustained-release preparation has suggested so as to evaluate the release kinetics and to promote the development of evaluation methodology on TCM sustained-release preparations.