Durham fellow overdosed after buying medicine on illicit site

A CORONER has written to the Culture Secretary warning of the dangers of unregulated websites after a “highly talented” teaching fellow died after taking a cocktail of prescription-only drugs.

Dr Kimberly Liu, a Harvard Law School graduate and teaching fellow at Durham University, had repeatedly purchased sedatives online for four years before her death, an inquest heard. She died from taking a cocktail of prescription-only medicines she had bought from illicit websites. The 40 year-old had become addicted to sleeping pills and painkillers, the hearing was told.

Her GP had prescribed her some medications, but Liu had regularly sought out others on the internet.

Liu was found unresponsive by her husband at her London home in February 2023 and was pronounced dead due to “mixed drug toxicity”.

Assistant coroner Ian Potter has now written to Lucy Frazer warning of the dangers of the unregulated websites used by Liu. In his Prevention of Future Deaths report he redacted the names of the drugs and the online sites she accessed.

But he warned they were placing potential customers in “grave danger”.

Mr Potter – who covers Inner North London – wrote: “The evidence revealed that from at least 2019, Kimberly Liu had regularly accessed websites specifically aimed at selling prescription-only medications that allowed repeat orders on the same day and did not require a prescription.

“Despite the different URLS, some of the websites appear to be operated by the same company and/or individual(s), in that ordering using an identical Whatsapp number was also permitted.”

He added: “Correspondence from the websites, following an order being placed, included messaging that suggested that the operator(s) knew that their supply of such medication was likely to arouse regulatory suspicion.

“By way of example, messaging received in emails following the placing of an order, included the following: ‘This is to inform you that usage of the name “Sleeping Tablets” during the payment is prohibited. Kindly do not use the brand name as it can be harmful for us. Do not mention the product or website when making payment.’”

Mr Potter said that on one occasion in December 2021 one website permitted identical orders of tablets within nine minutes of each other, “without question or checks”.

“Three days later a further order was again permitted without any query,” he added.

“The concern here is that these websites, and potentially other similar websites, are not only operating without regulation, but that they appear to exploit already vulnerable individuals... thereby placing those individuals in grave danger.”

Mr Potter added: “I believe that consideration ought to be given to the impact the availability of such websites has on the population at large, together with the significantly increased risks to those who have developed an addiction to such medications or may even be contemplating acts of self-harm.”

The inquest last month was told that Liu, an American who obtained her PHD from University College, London, had become addicted to sleeping tablets, pain-killing medication, and other medications “with a sedative effect” in the years prior to her death.

Mr Potter recorded a verdict of drug-related death. Writing to Mrs Frazer, he said: “In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action.”

The Culture Secretary has until Feb 15 to respond.

‘The concern here is that these websites appear to exploit already vulnerable individuals’