Michael Jackson's doctor ordered 255 vials of the drug that killed the singer in 2009, a court has heard.

Pharmacist Tim Lopez said Dr Conrad Murray placed an order for the powerful anaesthetic propofol two months before his death in June.

He also claimed that he supplied Dr Murray with other drugs, but that Jackson's personal physician didn't identify who his client was, reports the Associated Foreign Press.

The testimony came at the start of the second week of a preliminary hearing of Dr Murray in Los Angeles.

The doctor, who was working with the King Of Pop ahead of his ill-fated comeback gigs, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

He has admitted giving Jackson propofol but said he didn not give the star enough of the drug to kill him.

The preliminary hearing is expected to last several days as a judge decides whether there is enough evidence for Dr Murray to face a full trial.

(by Jason Gregory)