Footnotes

• Twitter @Cox_A_R

• Contributors ARC and RF jointly decided on the subject of this article, and have made an equal contribution to the writing and editing of the manuscript.

• Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

• Competing interests ARC has provided a pharmaceutical opinion on a case related to a medicine for a coroner. RF has provided medico-legal opinions on cases related to medicines for coroners and others.

• Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.