Finding into death of C J

44y · Female·Mixed drug toxicity (buprenorphine, ketamine, diazepam, fluvoxamine and lacosamide)

A 44-year-old female veterinarian died from mixed drug toxicity involving buprenorphine, ketamine, diazepam, fluvoxamine and lacosamide. She had a 18-19 year history of opioid addiction, initially using heroin recreationally in the Caribbean, later transitioning to methadone maintenance under specialist care. In January 2023, she transitioned to long-acting injectable buprenorphine while family holidayed overseas. Shortly after, she resumed ketamine use, likely obtained from her veterinary workplace. The coroner determined this was an accidental overdose. Clinical lessons include: veterinarians have high-risk access to addictive drugs; addiction specialists should monitor for relapse during opioid agonist transitions; and workplace access controls for controlled substances warrant strengthening in veterinary settings.