Official: Pills found at Prince's estate contained fentanyl
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Some of the pills taken from Prince's estate in Paisley Park after his death were counterfeit drugs that actually contained fentanyl — a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin, an official close to the investigation said Sunday.
The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said nearly two dozen pills found in one Aleve bottle were falsely labeled as "Watson 385."
According to Drugs.com, that stamp is used to identify pills containing a mix of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, but the official said at least one of the pills tested positive for fentanyl.
About a dozen tablets were found in a dressing room at Paisley Park, but the vast majority was in bottles of aspirin and Vitamin C that had been tucked inside a suitcase and bags — including one Prince often carried with him.
The official said Prince had many of these pills with him on April 15 when the airplane he was on made an emergency stop in Moline, Illinois, after he fell ill from a suspected drug overdose as he was heading home from a performance in Atlanta.
According to a search warrant, he told a detective he had ordered tests for Prince and prescribed medications.