Most anti-anxiety medications cause some short term memory loss.  He could have very easily have forgotten what he had already taken and when he took it.

Maegan - 08 February 2008 04:20 PM

He might also have had multiple doctors.  And people frequently forgot to mention what meds they are on.  Or don’t remember the names & go…Hmm, I think it’s ‘this one’.  Well, ‘this one’ is okay with ‘that one’...and the doc prescribes it…not realizing ‘this one’ was really ‘the other one’ and is a lethal combo.

That’s why we have a centralized computer system at pharmacies here in my country. If different doctors prescribe medication that doesn’t go along well, the pharmacy where you get them will ring the bell.

Still, the amount of different meds quoted in the news item above in my opinion is too much to call this an “accident”. Sounds like someone hoarding pills with a very definite purpose to me (getting them prescribed from different doctors so as to not raise alarm fits into this too). If he hadn’t been a celebrity I think this would have been deemed a suicide.

It is a lot of meds at once…but if you haven’t been sleeping, you might just be desperate for anything to help.  I think Unisom is an OTC medicine…you’re unlikely to OD on something OTC…that’s why they’re available without a prescription.  No one needs to supervise their use b/c they can’t do too much damage on their own.