Provided herein is an improved process for preparing highly pure atorvastatin hemicalcium salt crystalline Form 1 characterized by an X-ray powder diffraction pattern having peaks expressed as 2-theta angle positions at about 5.98, 9.0, 9.34, 10.13, 10.41, 11.70, 12.04, 15.06, 16.89, 18.16, 19.31, 19.72,21.20,21.46,21.77,22.16,22.55,23.16, 23.56,24.26,24,50,26.19,27.32, 28.14,29.01 ±0.2 degrees.