Opinion: What the doctor (or Jackson?) ordered

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So is the takeout message here that the doctor is merely a victim of the patient?

It’s a question that begs to be asked after Times reporters broke the story that Michael Jackson died of ‘lethal levels’ of propofol (the least-secret secret of our times), apparently administered by his personal physician Conrad Murray. Murray told authorities that he had been trying to wean Jackson off the powerful and dangerous anesthetic, but that after a sleepless night in which several other possible sleep-inducers were used, the pop star repeatedly demanded propofol. And so the doctor gave it to him.

They say the customer is always right, but this might be taking it to an extreme. Of course, displeasing the star might have lost Murray a very cushy gig -- reportedly $150,000 a month. And Jackson doesn’t sound like the easiest of patients, at least according to Murray’s account. But there are times a person has to say no. Of course, a superstar isn’t likely to surround himself with those kind of people.

--Karin Klein