A taste-masked micromatrix powder in which the ratio of a cationic copolymer synthesized form dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and neutral methacrylic acid esters compared to a drug having poor organoleptic properties is greater than 2 to 1, preferably 4 to 1, most preferably 6 to 1 (wt/wt). Taste masked immediate release micromatrix powders can be formed by spray drying the drug and cationic copolymer whereas sustained release micromatrix powders can be formed by granulating controlled release powders, which can be made by spray drying the drug with a retarding polymer, with the cationic copolymer. The immediate release or sustained release taste-masked powders of this invention can be incorporated into conventional oral dosage forms such as sprinkles, suspension, fast melt tablets, chewable tablets or effervescent tablets.