Detectives to probe NINE doctors over Whitney's death

They will begin at the infamous Mickey Fine pharmacy in Beverly Hills – the same place where Michael Jackson got supplies of his medication for year

Whitney Houston died over the weekend

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Detectives investigating the death of Whitney Houston will quiz up to NINE doctors they believe could have supplied her with a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs.

And they will begin their probe at the infamous Mickey Fine pharmacy in Beverly Hills – the same place where Michael Jackson got supplies of his medication for years.

It is believed at least some of the pills thought to have played a part in Whitney’s death were obtained from the drug store on North Roxbury Drive.

The singer, 48, died in her hotel bath on Saturday after swallowing a number of powerful sedatives – bottles of which littered the suite.

Tragic: One of the baths in the Beverly Hills Hilton hotel

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And last night the theory that she died from drugs was given further credence when it was reported that medics had found there was not enough water in her lungs to convince them she drowned.

Hollywood sources revealed that the troubled star’s drug taking had spiralled out of control in recent months, turning her into a virtual “zombie”.

She had become a recluse, regularly spending most of the day in bed before emerging in the evenings to party.

Police are now anxious to find out how a recovering crack addict, with a long history of drug and alcohol abuse, was able to get hold of such a vast quantity of prescription drugs.

They believe the star may have been using up to nine private physicians to get them. One insider said: “The only way Whitney could function was on a cocktail of different drugs – uppers, downers, sleeping pills, painkillers, a whole medicine cabinet.

“She was living like a zombie, always on some kind of medication. The more she took, the more she needed. And with alcohol in the mix, it was a tragedy waiting to happen. But she needed quite a network to obtain drugs in that kind of number.”

According to reports in the US, Whitney drank beer and champagne shortly before she died. Photos taken inside suite 434 of the Beverly Hilton show a Heineken can and an empty champagne glass.

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She ordered a hamburger, fries, a turkey sandwich and jalapeno peppers. Family sources say Whitney ate the burger and fries then took the ­sandwich and peppers into the bathroom with her. They were on a tray near the bath.

Many of the medication bottles found in her room were thought to be empty or had very few tablets left in them.

Police and the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office are working on the premise that a combination of potent prescription drugs and alcohol caused the star to become heavily sedated or overdose, which ultimately led to her death.

But it is also possible she suffered a heart attack caused by an adverse reaction to her medication.

A postmortem was carried out on Sunday, but officials said they will not have any definite answers about the cause of death until drug tests are completed, which could take weeks.

Flowers: At the school named after Whitney

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It is believed that the coroner found no obvious signs of trauma, but that the star’s throat did appear inflamed. Among the drug bottles in her room were antibiotics, painkillers and sedatives Lorazepam, Valium and Xanax.

Whitney is said to have been under water for more than 30 minutes when she was found. Medics say they found no evidence of any pre-existing heart condition.

Detectives are expected to treat the investigation in a similar way to how they handled the death of Michael Jackson. The King of Pop died in LA on June 25, 2009 after being given a lethal cocktail of medication, including anaesthetic propofol.