TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - PHARMACEUTICALS - Preferred Composition: The drug depot comprises 30-90 wt.% of the local anesthetic and 10-80 wt.% of the polymer, and the drug depot further comprises 0.5-20 wt.% of an excipient. The drug depot comprises 15-55% of the polymer, relative to the total weight of the drug depot. Preferred Components: The local anesthetic is bupivacaine (preferred), ropivacaine, mepivacaine, etidocaine, levobupivacaine, trimecaine, carticaine and/or articaine. Preferred Method: The drug depot is capable of releasing 40-70% of the local anesthetic or its salt, relative to total amount of the local anesthetic loaded in the drug depot, over a period of 4-10 days after the drug depot is administered to the target site. The amount of the local anesthetic released is 50-800 mg/day for a period of 4-10 days. The drug depot, administered at the target site, is capable of releasing 2-50% of bupivacaine or its salt, relative to total amount of bupivacaine or its salt loaded in the drug depot, over a first period of up to 48 hours and 50-98% of bupivacaine or its salt, relative to total amount of bupivacaine or its salt loaded in the drug depot, over a subsequent period of up to 3-10 days.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The polymer comprises one or more of poly(lactide-co-glycolide), polylactide, polyglycolide, polyorthoester, D-lactide, D,L-lactide, poly(D,L-lactide), L-lactide, poly(D,L-lactide-co-caprolactone), poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide-cocaprolactone) and/or polycaprolactone. ACTIVITY - Antibacterial; Antitubercular; Tuberculostatic; Antimicrobial; Uropathic; Virucide; Fungicide.    MECHANISM OF ACTION - None given.    EXAMPLE - Poly(DL-lactide-co-caprolactone) polymer (25:75) was added to a glass vial and heated to either 100 degrees C (below drug melt temperature) or 110 degrees C (above drug melt temperature). Bupivacaine base was added to the melted polymer and mixed with a spatula to form a homogeneous bupivacaine formulation. The resulting blend was pressed into a thin film of 0.4-0.6 mm thickness using Carver Press. The thin film was cut to form a strip of desired dimensions such as 9 mm in length, 0.4-1 mm in thickness and 1.5-3 mm in width.