The death of legendary musician Prince has fuelled rumours the funk idol was allegedly addicted to prescription medication.

While the results of Prince’s autopsy won’t be known for some weeks, several reports suggested the Raspberry Beret singer had problems with painkiller use.

Following his unexpected death, Prince’s family members, friends, staff close to him and one man who claimed to be his drug dealer all revealed that the singer had reason to use prescription painkillers, or that he’d spent tens of thousands acquiring them.

The musician, 57, was found dead in the elevator at his home in Minnesota last Thursday (AEST).

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TMZ reported that Prince overdosed on Percocet six days before his death.

The entertainment news website claimed sources close to Prince’s entourage told emergency services the star had taken the medication after a concert in Atlanta.

A private flight Prince was on was forced to make an emergency landing so he could be treated for an overdose, the report claimed.

Emergency services at the scene reportedly administered treatment that saved his life.

The opioid pain medication Percocet is a highly addictive medication and contained acetaminophen (aka Tylenol) and oxycodone.

It was typically prescribed to treat moderate to severe short-term pain. Police were expected to question members of Prince’s entourage about the reported overdose.

Detectives would also be investigating if Prince got prescription medication from an authorised physician or not.

Prince had been taking painkillers for hip pain, sources close to him said. He reportedly had hip surgery in 2010.

TMZ also published photos of Prince attending a local pharmacy four times in the week leading up to his death, including one in the hours before he was reported to have died.

Authorities said his death was not suicide or caused by obvious trauma.

“Prince’s medical history is at the top of detectives’ list when it comes to cause of his death,” a police source told the Mirror.

On Saturday a man claiming to be Prince’s drug dealer told the Daily Mail that the musician spent $40,000 at a time on Dilaudid pills and Fentanyl patches.

These were both highly addictive opioid pain killers he allegedly sold to Prince from 1984 to 2008.

The dealer who called himself “Dr D” said: “I first met Prince in 1984 while he was filming the movie Purple Rain and he was already majorly addicted to opiates – I didn’t hook him on drugs he was already a really heavy user.”

It is believed Prince had for long periods abstained from alcohol and illicit drugs.

Throwing more confusion into the story was Prince’s brother-in-law Maurice Phillips, who claimed Prince had not slept for days just before his death.

“I was with him just last weekend,” Phillips told the Mirror. “He worked 154 hours straight. He was a good brother-in-law.”

Phillips married Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson, his only full blood relative.

According to the report the prescription drug Percocet could cause insomnia in extreme cases.