Provided is an anesthetic composition for locally administrating an amide-type anesthetic into a subject in need thereof. The anesthetic composition has multilamellar vesicles with entrapped amide-type anesthetic prepared by hydrating a highly entrapped lipid structure comprising an amide-type anesthetic and a lipid mixture with an aqueous buffer solution at a pH higher than 5.5. Also provided is a method to prepare an anesthetic composition using a simpler and more feasible process for large-scale manufacture and for providing a high molar ratio of amide-type anesthetic to phospholipid content as compared to the prior art. This anesthetic composition has a prolonged duration of efficacy adapted to drug delivery.
