Pills found in Prince's home mislabelled, contained fentanyl

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Press Trust of India Los Angeles
Last Updated : Aug 22 2016 | 7:32 PM IST
Pills seized from singer Prince's home were labelled as hydrocodone but contained fentanyl, the powerful opioid that killed him, according to a new report.
The 57-year-old legendary singer was found dead at his Paisley Park home in April and according to the autopsy report, the death was from an accidental overdose of fentanyl.
The new details have been reported by Minneapolis Star Tribune, which has quoted an insider with knowledge of the investigation.
Prince did not possess a prescription for fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has been described 50 times more potent than heroin and up to 100 times more potent than morphine.
The investigators are still uncertain as to how the singer ingested fentanyl as they have not found any prescription for the drug from his house.
They, however, are leaning towards the theory that he took the pills not knowing they contained the drug.
Fentanyl, the most powerful painkiller on the market, is normally prescribed to cancer patients in extreme pain.
It is also used to ease the pain of someone who is dying or as part of anesthesia during surgery. But illegally manufactured fentanyl pills are readily available across America, reported CNN.
DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) has also been involved with the case alongwith the Carver County Sheriff's office.
As per the Tribune report, the musician, who weighed only 112 pounds at the time of his death, had so much of the drug in his system, that it would have killed anyone, regardless of size.

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First Published: Aug 22 2016 | 7:32 PM IST

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