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Prince’s Doctor Fined $4K for Prescribing Pills to Singer in Other’s Name

Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg gave a prescription to Prince’s longtime friend after he asked for pills for the singer.

A doctor who provided medical care to Prince around the time of his death was fined more than $4,000 on Monday for prescribing painkillers to the musician in someone else’s name. According to the Star Tribune, the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice fined Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg $4,648 for medical ethics violations, record-keeping violations, and hindering the initial inquiry into his prescription practices to the singer. Schulenberg reportedly told the board that he declined to give Kirk Johnson, Prince’s longtime friend, a prescription when Johnson said it was for Prince. However, when Johnson claimed it was for him, Schulenberg gave him the prescription.

At the time, Prince was taking drugs to manage chronic hip pain—though it is unclear whether the pop artist took the opioids Schulenberg prescribed. The music legend suffered a near-fatal overdose days before his April 2016 death and went to Schulenberg’s clinic one day before he died. Prince’s overdose death was linked to counterfeit pills that contained fentanyl, but authorities were never able to determine the source of the pills. Schulenberg’s attorneys have not spoken publicly on the matter.