Ethylcellulose-PEG 4000 film coated on core tablets was investigated as a potential drug delivery system for the controlled release of chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM). The kinetic analysis of the release data indicated that CPM release followed a diffusion-controlled model, where the quantity released per unit area is proportional to the square root of time. The effect of the film composition, CPM concentration, plasticizer concentration and CPM solubility on the release characteristics were examined. The release rate constant increased as CPM concentration increased. It also increased as the PEG 4000 content in the film increased above 10%(w/w), however, it decreased as the PEG 4000 content increased in the concentration range below 10%(w/w). The release rate constant was not affected by the coated weight on the core tablet. The film-coated tablets which contain CPM only in the coated film layer seemed to be a potential oral drug delivery system for the controlled release of CPM.