Prince Was Seeking Treatment for Painkiller Addiction Before His Death

BY Sarah MurphyPublished May 4, 2016

In the wake of Prince's shocking death on April 21, details about the end of the singer's life continue to emerge. In addition to leaving no will, the singer was reportedly noticeably ill in his final weeks, and his Paisley Park home is currently the focus of a criminal investigation due to pills found on the premises.
 
Now, the Minnesota Star-Tribune is reporting that Prince was seeking treatment for drug addiction just prior to his death.
 
According to a lawyer affiliated with the ongoing investigation of Prince's death, the singer was scheduled to meet with a doctor on April 22 to be treated for a painkiller addiction.
 
Dr. Howard Kornfeld, a California doctor specializing in the treatment of opioid addiction, was called to Prince's house on the evening of April 20 for "a grave medical emergency." The doctor was unable to make the trip, scheduling an appointment with Prince for April 22 and sending his son and co-worker Andrew Kornfeld to begin outlining a treatment regimen.
 
"The plan was to quickly evaluate his health and devise a treatment plan," the Kornfelds' lawyer William Mauzy told the Minnesota paper. "The doctor was planning on a lifesaving mission."
 
After Kornfeld was contacted by Prince's representatives, the doctor requested that a local physician check on the musician immediately, while he devised a long-term care plan that would involve treatment at his Recovery Without Walls centre in California.
 
The younger Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park on April 21 at 9 a.m., at which time Prince's representatives were unable to find the singer.
 
Dr. Howard Kornfeld is a known advocate for the use of a drug called Suboxone (which contains buprenorphine) to suppress opioid cravings. His son had a small dose of buprenorphine with him at the time Prince was found, though it was never administered. Andrew Kornfeld was present when Prince's body was found in the elevator, and the Star-Tribune claims that he made the call to 911.
 
The public records detailing that 911 call are currently suppressed as part of the ongoing criminal investigation. It is unknown if the pills that were found at Prince's house were prescribed to him, and if not, how they were obtained.
 

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