On Sunday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that pills marked as hydrocodone – commonly known under the trade name Vicodin – actually contained fentanyl, a synthetic opioid described as being 100 times more powerful than morphine.
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However, according to an official investigating the musician’s death, almost two dozen pills found at his estate were falsely labeled as hydrocone, a weaker type of opioid.
The beloved musician, 57, was found dead in an elevator in his Paisley Park compound on April 21.
Some 700 Americans overdosed on fentanyl in 2015, with the opioid now a major part of the illegal drugs market.
Fentanyl is legally prescribed for pain, particularly in cancer patients, and often administered by a patch, but the drug was declared a “threat to health and public safety” by the US Drug Enforcement Administration a year ago.
A number of these were found stashed inside bottles of aspirin and Vitamin C that had been tucked inside a suitcase and bags. Authorities, speaking from a place of anonymity, also confirmed that a bottle of oxycodone pills were discovered, prescribed for someone else. The official said he probably took the fatal dose in the 24 hours before he died.
U-4770 can be tested for in toxicology screens, but is not done routinely because it is a relatively new chemical. If Prince was dependent on the highly-addictive, unsafe substance, which doctor prescribed it and how can they be held accountable?
The official did not elaborate on those tests.
It was fentanyl that killed Prince, according to autopsy results. Lidocaine is a local anesthetic. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
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