The medical examiner who performed Prince’s toxicology has confirmed that Prince died from a Fentanyl overdose, according to TMZ.
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A medical examiner says the 57-year-old Prince died of a fentanyl overdose April 21 at his Paisley Park home.
After he died, authorities began reviewing whether an overdose was to blame and whether he had been prescribed drugs in the preceding weeks.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Opioids are medications that relieve pain”.
The press release on the autopsy said that the medical examiner would not be making further comment, and the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the investigation of Prince’s April 21 death, is continuing its inquiry.
The Star Tribune reported that in the days after Prince left that hospital abruptly, he was becoming increasingly agitated – which is what prompted one of his staff members to call someone in NY for advice from someone who had recently worked with the musician.
It was not immediately clear whether Prince had a prescription for the drug and, if not, how he obtained it.
Prince’s death came less than a week after his plane made an emergency stop in IL, so he could undergo medical treatment.
The official spoke with The AP on the condition of anonymity because he’s not permitted to speak to the media, ABC News reported. William Mauzy, the Kornfelds’ attorney, said Howard Kornfeld sent with his son a small dose of buprenorphine, which is used to ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Only days before he was found dead, Prince’s staff had contacted a specialist in painkiller addiction to rescue Prince from what was described as a “grave medical emergency”.
A search warrant connected to the death investigation showed Prince had met with another physician, Dr. Michael Todd Schulemberg, on April 7 and 20. He was supposed to meet with Prince that morning.
Prince was an avid performer and was on his “Piano and a Microphone” tour days before he died.
Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a raid on Paisley Park last month as part of a joint federal and state investigation into the circumstances surrounding the musician’s death.
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Prince’s death came two weeks after he canceled concerts in Atlanta, saying he wasn’t feeling well.
