What do you call small particles of a drug that are coated with compounds requiring various times to dissolve?

The correct term for small particles of a drug that are coated with compounds requiring various times to dissolve is a spansule. Spansules are designed to provide a controlled release of medication, allowing for a gradual absorption into the bloodstream over time. This characteristic makes them particularly useful for medications that need to maintain a steady level in the body, as the varying rates of dissolution can help to achieve this effect.

Capsules consist of a shell that contains the medication, but do not specifically refer to the coating of particles for controlled release. Tablets are solid dosage forms that may or may not have a coating but generally dissolve at similar rates rather than providing varied release times. Syrups, on the other hand, are liquid forms of medication and do not pertain to the concept of coated particles with controlled dissolution times. This specificity of spansules in their formulation and release mechanism distinguishes them from the other options.