Methods and compositions for treating post-operative pain comprising a local anesthetic

A method of treating or preventing post-operative pain in a patient in need of such treatment, the method comprising administering one or more biodegradable drug depots comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a local anesthetic or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to a target tissue site beneath the skin before, during or after surgery, wherein the drug depot is capable of releasing an initial bolus dose of the local anesthetic or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof at a site beneath the skin followed by a sustained release dose of an effective amount of the local anesthetic or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof over a period of at least 4 days.

An implantable drug depot useful for reducing, preventing or treating post-operative pain in a patient in need of such treatment, the implantable drug depot comprising a therapeutically effective amount of bupivacaine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a polymer;

• wherein the depot is implantable at a site beneath the skin to reduce, prevent or treat post-operative pain, and the depot is capable of releasing (i) about 2% to about 50% of the bupivacaine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof relative to a total amount of the bupivacaine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof loaded in the drug depot over a first period of up to 48 hours and (ii) about 50% to about 98% of the bupivacaine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof relative to a total amount of the bupivacaine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof loaded in the drug depot over a subsequent period of up to 3 to 10 days.