OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness and economic efficiency of the treatment of coronary heart disease with salvianolate injection. METHODS: We retrospectively studied hospitalized patients with coronary heart disease from August 2011 to December 2015 by using electronic medical record database. Patients who received salvianolate injection combined with conventional treatment were selected as exposed group, while those who received conventional treatment alone were selected as unexposed group. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to balance the characteristics of patients. Then we evaluated hospital stay, nitrates use, total medical costs and subcategories costs of both groups. RESULTS: In all, 2250 patients were included. And 401 patients in each group were analyzed after PSM. A significant decrease was found in hospital stay (P < 0.05) and nitrates use (P < 0.05) in exposed group. Total medical costs per patient had no significant difference between two groups. Subcategories costs comparison showed that the Chinese patent medicine costs of exposed group were significantly higher, and other subcategories costs of exposed group were lower or not significantly different from unexposed group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who receive salvianolate injection combined with conventional treatment have shorter hospital stay and less nitrates use than who receive conventional treatment alone. But there is no significant difference between two groups in total medical costs.