Tragedy befalling prominent figures in the entertainment industry is nothing new, but the growing phenomenon of drug-related deaths among these people is unsettling.  Four that come to mind are Corey Haim, Brittany Murphy, Michael Jackson, and Anna Nicole Smith (”ANS”).  Millions have been spent in legal fees to bring forth explanations and possible closure to their untimely loss of life. Controversy has especially been swirling around Haim, Jackson, and ANS, who all shopped for doctors that would ply them with enough medication to kill a person many times over.

Though the exact cause of Haim’s death is still undetermined, several unauthorized prescriptions in his name were found amongst blank prescription pads (which could have been stolen from doctor’s offices).  These blank pads are the equivalent of gold bricks to drug pushers.  One arrest involving a possible drug ring participant who supplied Haim with a powerful painkiller occurred March 17, but details about the incarceration are sparse.  Then, 2 weeks ago, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office subpoenaed medical records from 20 doctors scattered throughout Southern California to gauge prescription trails linked to Haim.  Attorney General Jerry Brown and his office are seeking answers too.  At an April 6th press conference, Brown delivered the following:

“We have uncovered the fact that Corey Haim actually obtained 553 dangerous drugs just this year, and as late as 5 days before he died. He went to 7 different doctors. He went to 7 different pharmacies. This is emblematic of the abuse of these dangerous prescription drugs….we don’t know exactly why he died, but we know he had hundreds and hundreds of prescriptions taken very shortly before he died. He abused this process in a way that others have. We don’t know how many were illegal. He was certainly getting a lot by going to different doctors, and in one case he used an alias to get his drugs. Then, there was this case where he was using an illegal prescription pad… These cases take an enormous amount of manpower to uncover. This case we’ve been giving unusual attention, because we think it illustrates a problem that is more widespread. He is the poster child for this problem. What is disconcerting is there is more of these drug addicted, doctor shopping abusers, and we want to continue – under very limited resources – to expose the problem and then curb it.”

The results of Haim’s toxicology report are due within a week or so.

Conrad Murray, one of the “likely suspects” in connection with the medication-related death of pop icon Michael Jackson, entered a Los Angeles courtroom April 5th.  Jerry Brown’s office is in the thick of things, pushing for the doctor’s license to be suspended.  That decision was postponed by the new judge assigned to the case for a hearing set to commence June 14th.  Following Monday’s preliminary hearing, Murray’s lawyer Ed Chernoff appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America attempting to state his client was not responsible for MJ’s death.  First, he vehemently denied the allegation Murray delayed calling 911 so he could clean up evidence.  He attributed the delay to the fact that there was no house phone in the room where MJ lay dying, and that he could not risk leaving him.  Ever hear of a cell phone, doctor?  How about shouting for someone else to make the call for you?  According to an unsealed affidavit, Murray told investigators he gave MJ the drugs Lidocaine, Ativan, Versed and – most notoriously – Propofol during the early hours of June 25, 2009.  He then left the room after giving MJ a final dose of Propofol, and returned to find that his patient stopped breathing.  Chernoff is convinced his client was blamed for the death solely based on its unusual circumstances, and he seemed a likely target because of the incredible pressure to name a suspect.  Chernoff also claims Murray could not have been aware of everything Jackson was doing over the months he was treating the “King of Pop.”

Despite the recent decision barring Anna Nicole Smith’s estate from receiving any benefits from her deceased former husband, the controversy revolving around her own death is maintaining momentum.  The three implicated (directly or indirectly) in her 2007 passing – Howard K. Stern and physicians, Kristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor – faced two weeks of grueling testimony in an October 2009 hearing.  Among the 23 felony charges listed in the indictment were:  obtaining an opiate prescription by fraud, deceit, or, misrepresentation; prescribing, administering, or, dispensing a controlled substance to an addict; and, unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance.  Judge David Wesley determined there was enough evidence to merit a trial.  Each accused pled not guilty and are scheduled to appear for an April 23rd hearing, followed by a trial commencing August 4th.

Lady Justice ponders whether the collision courses all these celebrities were on could have been avoided.  The common thread of their downfalls is drug usage – drugs to treat depression, lack of energy, pain, and a host of other ailments, afflictions and dependencies.  Soon, a few pills become dozens.  The patient, heavily medicated and unable to think or act rationally, thinks more drugs are necessary.  Extreme measures are taken by using pseudonyms to throw off the paper trail.  There is no lack of money to seek wellness, but there is a lack of treatment to get to root cause(s).  The facilitators become enablers.  The spiral widens, and the downfall is imminent.  It is not a new story, but a common news story.  Pharmaceuticals, when used with caution and care, can enable one to lead a more full life.  However, addictive personalities and rampant greed (spanning across both the patient and doctor spectrum) endanger thousands daily.  Yes, there are good drugs.  More importantly, there are good health care providers.  Breeding the two elements successfully and safely should be the focus for health care regulators and consumers alike.

Iustitia Omni Auro Carior (Justice is more precious than all gold).