Finding into death of Kim Michelle Cooper

47y · Female·Mixed drug toxicity (pregabalin, oxycodone and mirtazapine)

A 47-year-old woman died from mixed drug toxicity involving pregabalin, oxycodone, and mirtazapine. She had chronic pain, anxiety, and depression, and attended a medical clinic frequently. Over five days before her death, she was prescribed escalating doses of oxycodone by two different doctors without SafeScript checks or Schedule 8 permits as legally required. She also accumulated excessive pregabalin from multiple clinicians across three months. Key clinical lessons: mandatory SafeScript checking for opioids must be performed before every prescription; oxycodone requires Schedule 8 permits; doctors must coordinate care when patients see multiple prescribers; pregabalin combined with benzodiazepines and opioids carries serious CNS depression risks. The coroner found this death was a missed opportunity—SafeScript compliance could have prevented it.