[originaltext] Many people take several medicines to treat different conditi

Many people take several medicines to treat different conditions at the same time. Each medicine may be safe to use by itself, yet together there could be dangerous or even deadly drug interactions. One example happened last year. Rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter Gerald Lever died at his home in Ohio.[4]A medical examiner found that the death was accidental, caused by a mixture of medicine. He was 40 years old.
    The drugs in his blood included several painkillers as well as an anxiety drug. These all require a doctor’s approval. Other medicines that are sold without the need for a prescription from a doctor were also found in his blood.
    Earlier this year there was a government report on drug interactions. Researchers said deaths from accidental drug combinations in the United States increased almost 70 percent. That was between 1999 and 2004.
    In 2004, nearly 20,000 people died from accidental drug poisonings. The problem is now the second most common cause of accidental death in the United States, after motor vehicle accidents.
    Harmful drug interactions are a growing problem throughout the world. The increase is partly a result of patients being given more drugs and more combinations of drugs than ever before.[6]Experts say patients should talk with their doctor and pharmacist before taking new medicines.
4. What did Gerald Lever die from, according to the passage?
5. What can we learn about accidental drug poisonings from the passage?
6. What do experts suggest the patients do?