Prince’s Doctors Investigated By The FBI

Two doctors who treated Prince are being criminally investigated by law enforced agencies for prescription drugs that led to his death on April 21. Dr. Michael Schulenberg, family physician of Prince and California addiction doctor Howard Kornfeld have been named in the investigation of the accidental overdose of Prince from the opiate painkiller fentanyl at his home Paisley Park.

FBI, the DEA, and the Carver County District Attorney’s Office are working together in the investigation.

Dr. Michael Schulenberg, a Minnesota family doctor had worked at North Memorial Medical Center and left the day before Prince died. Schulenberg had seen Prince on April 7 and April 20, according to The Australian.

Law enforcement officials issued a warrant to search Schulenburg office and patients records. Authorities are looking into whether Schulenburg prescribed prescriptions to Prince. Prince was seen the week of his death at a local Walgreen’s pharmacy at least four times filling prescriptions, via TMZ

Dr. Howard Kornfeld, a California pain specialist and expert in opiate addiction runs the Recovery Without Walls, an addiction treatment center in Mill Valley. Prince’s representatives had contacted Dr. Kornfeld to come see Prince for an emergency visit at his Paisley Park home, according to SF Gate.

Dr. Howard Kornfeld was unable to make the meeting with Prince and sent his son Andrew in his place. Andrew Kornfeld is a pre-med student, was at Prince’s home when he overdosed. Andrew Kornfeld was the person who called 911 when Prince was found in the elevator in his home and told authorities that there was a medical emergency, reported by People.

According to William Mauzy, attorney for Dr. Kornfeld and his family, Andrew Kornfeld was found to have a small amount of the medication Suboxone on him at Paisley Park. Mauzy stated, “those pills were to be delivered to the Minnesota doctor, there were no pills or any type of medication to give to Prince by Andrew,” via ABC News.

Andrew Kornfeld was not licensed to distribute a controlled substance in Minnesota. Mauzy stated during a press conference, It is my belief that the [Minnesota law] providing immunity for people who make a 911 emergency calls – to receive immunity for any medications, any controlled substances on the scene, according to People.

Suboxone is used to treat opiate dependence and are used to block the effects of opioid medications. Suboxone can also be addicting, misuse of the drug can lead to overdose and death.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States who abuse opiates. Opiate drugs include heroin, morphine, oxycontin, fentanyl, demerol, dilaudid, percocet, and methadone. Opiates are used to control pain and are prescribed by a doctor. While on these types of medication you and your doctor are to work closely together so that you can be monitored for problems associated with these drugs.

Many people who take these drugs become addicted. Addiction can lead to many problems, drowsiness, respiratory depression, paranoia, irritability, family and workplace issues, financial problems, seizures and death.

According to Forbes, six days before Prince’s death on April 15, he had a medical emergency in flight. His plane had to make an emergency landing for “an unresponsive passenger” and he was taken to an Illinois hospital, where he was given a “save shot.”

A “save shot” is given to counter act an overdose. Narcan stops the opiates going to the receptors in the brain. It helps regulate breathing and wakes the person up.

Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958. Prince was a multi-talented musician, songwriter and performer. He became interested in music as a child and by the age of 18 signed his first record contract with Warner Bros. Records in 1977. By 1982, Prince’s album, 1999, sold over 6 million copies.

In 1984, Prince starred in his first film Purple Rain and recorded his first soundtrack,”Purple Rain,” which sold 22 million copies. The film made more than $68 million and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and swept the 1985 American Music Awards.

Dr. Conrad Murray, physician to Michael Jackson was charged in Jackson’s death. Jackson died on June 25, 2009. Murray, was convinced of giving Jackson a fatal dose of propofol stated, “On the bottle there are clear instructions,” he reasons. “If Prince as an adult chooses to take 15 pills every six hours versus two pills every six hours, in the absence of a doctor, do you hold him responsible?,” according to Inside Edition.

In the wake of all the celebrity deaths, the FBI and DEA are investigating the doctors in to know if Prince was prescribed the drugs and misused them or if he was using illegal prescriptions.

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]