Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Counterfeit Fentanyl-Filled Drugs Reportedly Found At Prince's Estate
The Washington Post: Prince Might Have Been A Casualty Of A Counterfeit Pill Problem Sweeping The Nation
Just like the pills found at Prince’s home, the fentanyl-filled pills that the Drug Enforcement Administration has been finding look just like run-of-the-mill prescription pills. “The counterfeit pills often closely resemble the authentic medications they were designed to mimic, and the presence of fentanyl is only detected upon laboratory analysis,” a DEA report warned last month. (Contrera, 8/22)
The Star Tribune: Fentanyl Pills Seized From Paisley Park Were Mislabeled
Pills marked as hydrocodone that were seized from Paisley Park after Prince’s overdose death actually contained fentanyl, the powerful opioid that killed him, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. The musician, who weighed only 112 pounds at the time of his death April 21, had so much of the drug in his system, autopsy results later showed, that it would have killed anyone, regardless of size, the source said. (Montemayor, 8/20)
USA Today: Reports: Pills Found At Prince Estate Were Mislabeled
Drugs collected from Prince's Paisley Park estate after his body was discovered April 21 were counterfeit pills that contained fentanyl, the powerful painkiller that an autopsy report said caused his death. Nearly two dozen pills found in one Aleve bottle were falsely labeled "Watson 385," an official told the Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. (Blas, 8/21)
