This investigation describes a novel approach to prepare solid dispersions of tanshinone IIA using a laboratory-scale planetary ball mill. Poloxamer 188 was employed as the surfactant carrier to improve the solubility and dissolution of the poorly soluble drug, tanshinone IIA. Solubility and dissolution were evaluated compared to the corresponding physical mixtures and pure drug. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of the solid dispersions were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The solid dispersion significantly enhanced drug solubility and dissolution compared with pure drug and the physical mixtures. Scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses of tanshinone IIA/poloxamer 188 system confirmed that there were intermolecular interactions between tanshinone IIA and poloxamer 188 and no conversion to crystalline material. Tanshinone IIA existed in a microcrystalline form in the system. These results suggested that improvement of the dissolution rate could be correlated to the formation of a eutectic mixture between the drug and the carrier. After 60 days the solid dispersion samples were chemically and physically stable. The present studies indicated that the planetary ball mill technique could be considered as a novel and efficient method to prepare solid dispersion formulations.