Pecaut, Mackay honored at health conference

Two members of the Perry County Health Department received Special Recognition Awards at a recent Missouri Enviromental Health Association Conference. Perry County Environmental Public Health Specialists Reagan Mackay and Katelyn Pecaut were able to contain a possible toxin in certain products.
On Jan. 29, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a recall alert for Neptune’s Fix. These products were recalled because they contain tianeptine, a drug ingredient that is not FDA-approved for any medical use.
According to FDA’s risk statement, the product presented a reasonable probability of life-threatening events, particularly for children, adoles­cents. and young adults. This includes but is not. limited to suicidal Ideation. confusion, seizures, shortness of breath, and serious adverse complications when combined with antide­pressants or alcohol. The Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Environmental Health Services {BEHS) issued a recall alert to stale and local inspectors on Jan. 31, 2024, but was unable to obtain distribution information, making response activities particularly difficult
Acting on BEHHS notification, Perry County Health Department environmental health staff promptly conducted numerous effectiveness checks at retail outlets most likely to have the product in question.
Not limiting themselves to the food establishments they routinely inspect, they spot checked several smoke shops as well. After encountering the affected product for sale at one well-known smoke shop chain, Mackay and Pecaut directed store staff to remove affected product from store shelves. In accordance with corporate directives, store staff declined to discontinue sales and EPHS Mackay and Pecaut responded by embargoing 36 packages of the affected product.

EPHS Mackay and Pecaut were able to obtain voluntary destruction onsite and notified DHSS of their experience and concerns, working with SE District BEHS staff Jon Peacock and Ann Winkler.
With the detailed information EPHS Mackay and Pecaut provided, BEHS, FDA and City of Joplin inspectors were able to spot check additional smoke shop stores affiliated with the one in Perry County, confirming a corporate-wide failure to adhere to the recall alert. DHSS subsequently alerted and worked with other Local Public Health Agencies so that all 50 of the chains’ stores in Missouri were checked and product removed from commerce.
FDA was provided additional information about chain’s processes including how the product was being distributed and was afforded the opportunity to share Information with other state and local regulatory programs.
Because of EPHS Mackay and Pecaut’s decision to conduct thorough recall effective checks in their jurisdiction, their decision to take enforcement action, and their decision to thoroughly document and report their findings,. thousands of dangerous products containing tianeptine were subsequently removed from commerce across Missouri and throughout the Midwest, no doubt preventing many negative public health outcomes.
This is one example of EHS Mackay and Pecaut’s impact on public health. They are a true asset to Missouri’s environmental public health system and are deserving of recognition.