A formulation and methods for inducing sustained regional local anesthesia in
a
patient comprising a substrate comprising a local anesthetic and an effective amount
of a biocompatible, biodegradable, controlled release material prolonging the release
of the local anesthetic from the substrate to obtain a reversible local anesthesia
when implanted or injected in a patient, and a pharmaceutically acceptable, i.e.,
non-toxic, non-glucocorticoid augmenting agent effective to prolong the duration
of the local anesthesia for a time period longer than that obtainable from the
substrate without the augmenting agent.
