Q: What are the drugs that have been mentioned in connection with Jackson’s death and how do they work?
A: Propofol (Diprovan): A powerful intravenous sedative — not a DEA controlled substance — was found on the premises. It is used by anesthesiologists to put a patient to sleep before general anesthesia and surgery, or alone in a surgical suite for an elective procedure such as a colonoscopy or biopsy. Only small doses are necessary to be effective, and it can easily be misused by an untrained health professional leading to a respiratory arrest.

Narcotics: Demoral, Percocet, Vicodan — there are varied reports of prescriptions for these being found. All can lead a patient to stop breathing or sustain a cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac arrest if overdosed — especially if used in combination. These are controlled substances and prescriptions are subject to DEA review. Misuse can lead to loss of license or criminal prosecution.

Sedatives: A prescription for Xanax was reportedly found. This can also lead to supressed breathing.

Q: What are the questions about substandard care that surrounded Jackson’s death?
A: Excess prescriptions of narcotics and sedatives. When he stopped breathing, no opiate antagonist (narcan) was given to reverse the effects of narcotics. The doctor in residence did not coordinate the 911 call. CPR was done on the bed without a backboard, rather than on the floor where more force could be administered to the heart. No defibrillator was available, and no mouth-to-mouth breathing was reportedly given.

Q: Why is there a delay in getting the autopsy results?
A: The initial autopsy apparently showed no structural damage to the heart to explain his death. There is speculation that prescription drugs contributed to or caused Jackson’s sudden death, and initial toxicology reports may soon be ready. More extensive reports take longer because they look at blood and hair to quantify the exact amounts and combinations that could have led to his death. This will include a microscopic examination of the brain itself, which could show the effects of drugs and help determine the exact cause of death.

Dr. Marc Siegel is an internist and associate professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He is a FOX News medical contributor and writes a health column for the LA Times, where he examines TV and movies for medical accuracy. Dr. Siegel is the author of “False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear“ and “Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic.” Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

I can’t believe it took more than two years to charge the physicians involved in the case of Anna Nicole Smith’s death. It really shocks me that it took so long for these investigators to connect the dots.

Even from the preliminary data, it is evident that prescription medication had clearly played an important role in the cause of her death.

In fact, according to an Associated Press report, investigators found 11 prescription medications in her hotel room the day she died. More than 600 pills — including about 450 muscle relaxers — were missing from prescriptions that were no more than five weeks old when she died, and most of the drugs were prescribed in the name of Howard K. Stern, her lawyer-turned-companion. And actually, none of them were prescribed in Smith’s name.

So it makes me wonder, how is it possible that it took almost two years for charges to be brought on these doctors?

If you look at the confidential fax that was sent in September of 2006 by Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, the list of medications is a “who’s who” of narcotics, sedatives and sleeping medications and there is no scientific or chemical way that all of these drugs can be tolerated by the human body. These drugs are highly addictive and mixing them is basically the equivalent of a loaded gun in the hands of a child.

There’s a whole list of drugs she was on including: Four bottles of 2 mg Dilaudid; 2 milliliter bottles of Lorazepam (Ativan); two bottles of 350 mg Soma, a total of 180 tablets; one bottle each of 30 mg Dalmane and 400 mg Prexige, the latter a British drug; and one bottle of methadone, 300 5mg tablets. All of them are classified as different types of painkillers. Click here to see the confidential fax from Dr Eroshevich to Dr. Kapoor.

And clearly evident in the story written by FOXNews.com’s Roger Freidman Friday, are statements from Smith’s psychiatrist, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, where she pleads with Dr. Kapoor to give Smith something to knock her out.

If Dr. Eroshevich felt Anna Nicole needed to be sedated, the proper procedure would have been to put her in a hospital setting where she could be monitored and cared for in a healing environment.

At the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that all doctors take an oath to “do no harm.” So how, in keeping with that sacred oath, could any doctor prescribe these medications knowing that the outcome could be deadly?