An investigation has been launched into how a man was killed by his prescription medication.
Lalji Vekaria, 48, of St Stephen’s Road in Upton Park, was found unresponsive in Park Avenue, East Ham, on October 4.
An inquest into his death was formally opened at East London Coroner’s Court, Walthamstow, on Monday, December 16.
“A preliminary investigation was opened due to the absence of any clear explanation for the death,” said senior coroner Graeme Irvine.
He ordered a post-mortem examination, which was carried out on October 17.
“Results of the post-mortem were delayed due to the necessity to ask for a toxicology report,” said the coroner.
A pathologist has now given Mr Vekaria’s death as “the combined effects of alcohol, oxycodone and pregabalin”.
Oxycodone is a synthetic opioid painkiller and pregabalin is used to treat epilepsy, anxiety and chronic nerve pain.
“It seems to me that the toxicology results mean that this is a death in which an inquest must be opened,” said Mr Irvine. “It’s clear that this was not a natural cause of death.”
Inquests are held in open court in the public interest, to investigate unnatural deaths and whether future similar deaths might be avoided.
The coroner declared Mr Vekaria’s family “interested persons”, giving them the right to scrutinise evidence before the inquest and question any witnesses called to give evidence.
Among the evidence Mr Irvine ordered to be disclosed were an electronic summary of Mr Vekaria’s GP records and “a statement setting out precisely why it was” that he had been prescribed these medications.
He also wanted to know “whether or not he had ever come to the attention of the doctor as being at risk of overdose”.
If Mr Vekaria had been treated in the year before his death by a secondary mental health trust, the coroner added, he would need a statement from the responsible doctor and details of any investigations that had been triggered by his death.
He listed the full inquest for June 17.
Share