The main components of phosphate glass are harmless to the environment and human body, and its basic structure determines that its chemical properties are unstable. So that the glass shows sustained-release characteristics which enables it to have great prospects in biomedicine, antibacterial, glass fertilizer and some other fields. The general situation of phosphate glass and its main application in the field of sustained-release were introduced. The sustained-release mechanism is described in detail. The research progress of phosphate glass in different fields such as biomedicine, glass fertilizer and antibacterial materials are systematically introduced, and the development prospects and directions are elaborated.