Abstract: OBJECTIVE The physical properties of pharmaceutical powders and their compression and binding characteristics have a significant impact on quality of solid dosage. Understanding of comprehensive properties of pharmaceutical powders is helpful to improve production process of solid dosage. METHODS This article reviewed the research of compression and binding properties of pharmaceutical powder from different aspects. The new applied research on characteristic parameters of pharmaceutical powders was evaluated. So the relevant mathematical models were described in case that mathematical models were widely used in the compression process all over the world. RESULTS From the study on the prediction of pharmaceutical powders’ compression behavior, we could found that the mechanical properties of pharmaceutical powders could be described by binding index, hardness, tensile strength, Young's modulus and other parameters.They could be used to guide the production. CONCLUSION Understanding and grasping the comprehensive properties of powders was the key point during our formulation design, product development and solving practical production problems.