Article

Pharmacists Refused Risky Rxs for Anna Nicole Smith

More than 2 years after the drug-induced death of Anna Nicole Smith, the ongoing investigation has honed in on 2 of her doctors and the laundry list of dangerous prescriptions they wrote for the late model. Recently unsealed affidavits written by California state officials revealed that at least 3 pharmacists warned against the dangerous quantities and mixture of drugs prescribed to Smith 5 days after her son's own overdose death, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

One pharmacist, after viewing the request for 300 methadone tablets, 2 types of sedatives, a muscle relaxer, an anti-inflammatory drug, and 4 bottles of a painkiller dubbed 'hospital heroin,' remembered thinking, "they are going to kill her with this." Later explaining to Smith's internist why he had no intention of filling the prescriptions, the pharmacist said supplying the drugs would be "pharmaceutical suicide," court documents reportedly stated. Similar warnings were given by 2 other pharmacists.

Smith died of a prescription drug overdose less than 5 months after the incident, on February 8, 2007, at the age of 39. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, and internist, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, were both charged with conspiring to provide Smith with controlled substances, as was her boyfriend and attorney, Howard K. Stern. All have pleaded "not guilty." A preliminary hearing is slated for later this month.

For other articles in this issue, see:

Mail-Order Melee: Patient Satisfaction Surveys at Odds

A Shot for the Heart: Flu Vaccine Protects Cardiac Patients

Pharmacy Weighs In as Senate Closes In on Health Reform

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