"Further, the invention also provides pharmaceutical formulations for providing a regional local anesthesia in a patient that, when administered to a local site in a patient, sequentially releases an effective amount of a pharmaceutically acceptable local anesthetic and then at a time after administration, releases an amount of a glucocorticosteroid effective to reactivate and/or prolong the local anesthesia. "

That sounds like the sort of thing that we need really.  Perhaps it could be loaded with some small amount to be absorbed right away and then inside that a sustained release portion?

"Such a pharmaceutical formulation according to the invention also includes an effective amount of a biocompatible, controlled release material effective to prolong the release of said local anesthetic from said formulation and effective to delay the release of the glucocorticosteroid for a desired time after administration."

I am wondering exactly how long the polymers or whatever would take to break down in the gut?