Lake Coroner: Follow prescription directions

Lake County Coroner officials are warning people to listen to their doctor's advice when taking prescription medication.

The warning comes after four Lake County residents died last weekend due to overdoses on doctor prescribed medication.

Before resigning Tuesday as Lake County coroner, Dr. Richard Keller said the deaths were not connected in any way, other than all the victims took too many pills prescribed by their physicians in the same weekend.

“It's easy to become complacent and take too many pills when taking prescription medications,” he said. “It's important that people remain cautious of the medications, and take only the amount prescribed.”

Keller did not provide additional details of the deaths, except to say three took place in Zion, Libertyville, and Grayslake. He couldn't remember where the fourth death took place.

He said there was a fifth drug-related death in Lake County, but said that was a result of a cocaine overdose and not prescription medication.

Keller said the coroner's office usually receives a couple of prescription medication overdose deaths per month. He said it was a bit strange to have so many in one weekend.

“Usually it's only one or two a month, not four in one weekend,” he said. “None of the deaths were out of the ordinary. They just were clustered together so it made it seem out of the ordinary.”

Keller resigned as coroner later Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to two felony charges of obstructing justice and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance.