Time release technology (also known as
sustained-release [
SR],
extended-release [
ER,
XR,
XL],
controlled-release [
CR], and other synonyms) is a mechanism used in pill
tablets or
capsules to
dissolve a
drug over time in order to be released slower and steadier into the bloodstream while having the advantage of being taken at less frequent intervals than
immediate-release (
IR) formulations of the same drug. For example,
extended-release morphine allows for people with chronic pain to only need one or two tablets per day.