The crisis started from good intentions by public health authorities. Over the years, as poor outcomes resulted, the complexity of the situation became more widely understood. And yet, as recently as last month, a unit of the Centers for Disease Control refused to consider changing the guidelines that have hurt people as much as, or more than, they help. In 2009, the Obama FDA forced Purdue Pharma to reformulate their popular pain medication, OxyContin, which had been the primary substitute to produce heroin for the user on the cheap. In theory, forcing a reformulation would make conversion impossible, thus pushing users away from abuse and addiction.