19AQMM20P0289 J&A.pdf

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity: The Bureau of Medical Services (MED) through the Office of Acquisition Management (AQM) has a requirement for the RxNT Electronic

Prescribing of Controlled Substance (EPCS) Subscription Services.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved: AQM intends to purchase RxNT Product

Licenses and Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substance (EPCS) Subscription Services for a period of performance of one (1) year base and two (2) one-year options for 300 subscriptions. The anticipated total cost is including options.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the Department’s needs: The Department has a requirement for Medical Providers to prescribe controlled medications from over 200 international sites, including multiple remote and austere international sites.

4. An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition:

41 U.S.C. 1901; FAR 13.501(a), Sole source (including brand name).

5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited:

It took several years for MED and RxNT to develop a highly reliable ‘cross-credentialing’ procedures to maintain proof of licensure and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) registration within the low resource and administrative overhead necessary to function in a majority of the Department’s facilities. RxNT maintains credentialing data for US compliance on over 200 MED providers worldwide. It would require at least six (6) months to a year to establish a credentialing process with a new company while requiring

MED providers to resubmit multiple credentialing documents to new companies (high overhead) during which MED’s medical patients would not have access to the prescription services they have come to expect and depend upon. There are at least 20,000 Foreign Service Officers and their family members who depend upon the RxNT prescription services to obtain their medications. Denying that service for the estimated months to years to re-establish it under a new contractor would be a major disservice to members of the Department and our affiliated agencies.

RxNT dedicated an experienced, capable fulltime employee to the Bureau of Medical Services who can interact directly with MED providers in the field via OpenNet. This feature is unique among e-prescribing companies and has proven very valuable during overseas network problems or changes in benefit status of

DOD or DOE eligible employees. Key ‘Unique Features’ of RxNT for State:

• Ability to provide electronic prescription service to and from almost universal locations worldwide including those in austere areas which took years of development;

• Fully developed and integrated ‘cross-credentialing’ for more than 200 MED providers including

Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants practicing independently;

• Well developed, fully tested, and integrated Pharmacy Benefit Management functions with

Express-Scripts.

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

• Dedicated full time, specifically identified RxNT employee with dedicated email contact to manage/facilitate Department of State’s issues/concerns.

6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable: N/A

7. A determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable: The Contracting Officer will make a fair and reasonable price determination based on market research, comparison of previous purchase prices found reasonable, or a comparison with similar items in related industry.

8. A description of the market survey conducted and the results or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted: No market research was conducted, as the Rx NT subscription service currently deployed is a proprietary subscription product that can only be maintained through authorized software resellers of the original manufacturer – Rx NT.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition: As this is a brand name only justification, no one contractor’s unique qualifications are used as the basis for this justification.

Rather, the products identified by brand name herein have been identified as the only products meeting the

Department’s requirements.

10. A listing of sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition: N/A

11. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required: Continual market research will be conducted to ensure competition is maximized to the greatest extent practicable.