Capsules containing medicines (in the form of granules) coated with slow-dissolving materials to release at different times are called:

• A. Ion exchange resin
• B. OROS
• C. Matrix tablet
• D. Spansules

Answer: (D)

This focuses on using multiple coated granules inside a capsule to achieve staged release. Each granule has its own slow-dissolving coating, so some release sooner and others later as the capsule moves through the GI tract. This staggered release profile is what allows the drug to be released over an extended period without a single, continuous tablet form—hence the term spansules. The approach is specifically about multiparticulates inside a capsule, each with distinct release kinetics, giving a controlled overall delivery.

Other options involve different mechanisms: ion-exchange resins release drug by swapping ions in the gut rather than by coating granules for timed release; osmotic systems (OROS) use an osmosis-driven pump mechanism; a matrix tablet releases through a gel or matrix, not discrete coated granules inside a capsule.