36C24721Q0626 0001.pdf

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO. 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR

ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office. is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30 PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

(Type or print) (Type or print)

(Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code)

(If other than Item 6)

(Specify type of modification and authority)

(such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

1 10

0001 7/29/2021

36C247

Department of Veterans Affairs

VISN 7 Network Contracting Activity

501 Greene Street

Hatcher Building - Suite 2

Augusta GA 30901

36C247

Department of Veterans Affairs

VISN 7 Network Contracting Activity

501 Greene Street

Hatcher Building - Suite 2

Augusta GA 30901

To all Offerors/Bidders

36C24721Q0626

07-19-2021

X

X X

X 1

Subject: Virtual Pharmacist Services Solicitation

The purpose of this Amendment is to:

1. Add submitted Questions and Answers to the solicitation.

2. Update FAR 52.212-1, Instruction to Offerors

3. Update FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation of Offers

4. All other terms and conditions shall remain unchanged.

Laurinda Millage

Supv. Contracting Officer

VA-VHA-RPOE-2019-2FAAF4B5

CONTINUATION PAGE

Vendor Questions and Answers

1. Reference Para 2.7 & 4.7 - "The VA will not provide laptops, computers, or any electronic equipment to the virtual pharmacist services". These costs will need to be factored into Vendor total pricing. Please provide minimum electronic hardware and software specifications that Vendor will need to provide virtual pharmacists to successfully access VA systems.

There are no specific hardware requirements but must run on Windows 10 or newer.

2. Reference Para 3.1 - prescription verification hours are 7 days per week with emphasis on after hours (after 5 pm), weekends, and holidays. Is there a minimum number of pharmacists that must be available 24/7/365? Or do we just need to schedule pharmacists to maintain the backlog below the 72-hour standard cited in the surveillance plan?

The pharmacists do not need to be available 24/7/365. They will only be performing work outside of the normal business hours of the hospitals, 8AM –

5PM Eastern Time, and on weekends. No prescriptions will be processed under the contract during the business hours.

3. Reference Para 3.2 - Government workload estimate is for a minimum of 10,000 and maximum of 100,000 prescriptions per month. A vendor who bids based on the minimum will have a much more favorable price proposal than one who bids toward the maximum. Since the contract is Firm Fixed Price, the successful

Vendor will not have the latitude to request an adjustment until the total volume exceeds 100,000 per month. Assuming six full-time-equivalent Pharmacists can safely complete 25,0000 prescriptions per month, then Vendor pricing could vary between the minimum of 6 FTE pharmacists and up to 24 FTE pharmacists for the 100,000 maximum. We recommend revising the range of 10,000 - 25,000, with the opportunity for contract amendments beyond 25,000 prescriptions per month. Can the Government provide a narrower range to enable apples-to-apples comparisons for vendor proposals?

While the current average is on the higher end of the range, there are times when this number may be lower, i.e. COVID. Currently, we do not feel comfortable changing the range due to the possibility of flux at the pharmacies.

4. Reference Para 3.3 & Section E.5 - Para 3.3 states "payment will be made upon the number of prescriptions processed in the prior month". However, E.5 indicates this is a Firm Fixed Price type contract and the Price/Cost Schedule supports FFP. Please clarify how the Government intends to make invoice payment adjustments, if any, based on the number of prescriptions processed in the prior month.

Pricing will be based on a “per prescription” basis. This will be how the government will verify the invoice amount. The price will be FFP and will not change based on overall quantity.

5. Reference 52.212-2 para (b)(4) and (c)(2) - These references regard Vendor past performance references and how they will be evaluated. Please provide the min/max numbers for past performance references and if there are requirements specific to the Prime contractor and their subcontractor(s).

The Government prefers at least 3 references, but if a company does not have that many references, it will not be held against them during evaluation.

6. The RFQ did not include FAR Addendum 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors. Will the government be publishing additional proposal instructions for quote submission such as page count, past performance submission criteria, etc.?

The Provision has been updated to include more information.

7. The RFQ includes the Business Associate Agreement (BAA) but the instructions to offerors does not include the submission of the BAA. Please confirm if the BAA should be submitted with the proposal.

As this document is included as part of the Solicitation, it is required to be completed and submitted with the proposal.

8. FAR Addendum 52.212-2, Evaluation – Simplified Acquisition Procedures, the RFQ states in (b), “The following factors and subfactors shall be used to evaluate quotations:..” It seems as if there are four factors: Technical Capability, Management

Capability, Past Performance, and Price, is that correct? Is it possible for the government to identify the subfactors?

The Provision has been updated under paragraph (c) to clarify this section.

9. FAR Addendum 52.212-2, Evaluation, (c) Evaluation Approach, the RFQ states, “Technical Approach and Management Capability are equal in importance and when combined with Past Performance are more important than Price. The evaluation will consider the following: (1) Technical Capability…(2) Past Performance…and (3) Price.

a. Will the government clarify the factors and how they will be evaluated? It seems there are four factors (Technical Approach, Management Capability, Past

Performance, and Price) but the evaluation approach only identifies evaluation of three factors (Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Price).

The Provision has been updated under paragraph (c) to clarify this section.

10. FAR Addendum 52.212-2, Evaluation – Simplified Acquisition Procedures, (c)(2) Past

Performance, the RFQ does not identify any recency or relevancy criteria:

a. How many past performance references may be submitted?

b. What type of past performance qualifies for this effort (e.g., IDIQ, stand-alone contracts, task orders, etc.)? Any type of contract action that is similar or the same as the current requirement will be accepted.

c. Will the government identify what past performance qualifies as recent and relevant?

d. The RFQ included an a past performance questionnaire attachment, is it a requirement to submit the PPQ or may offerors submit past performance information to include CPARS and previously completed PPQs for similar efforts? The PPQ is required to be submitted for past performance evaluation. The Government will still use PPIRS as an additional source for Past Performance information.

The Provision has been updated to clarify and expand this Evaluation Factor.

11. PWS 52.212-2 EVALUATION: Does the Government require a minimum number of past performance examples?

The Government prefers to have at least 3 examples, but if the Company does not have

3 examples to submit, this will not be used against them in the evaluation of Past

Performance.

12. PWS 52.212-2 EVALUATION: Are there any format requirements for offerors’ quotes

(for example, font size)?

Provision 52.212-1 has been updated under paragraph (b) and is not referenced in the

PWS.

13. PWS 52.212-2 EVALUATION: Is PDF format acceptable for offerors’ quotes?

14. PWS 52.212-2 EVALUATION: Can all four components of our quote (i.e., technical approach, management, price, past performance) be incorporated into a single file?

15. PWS 2.6: How will virtual pharmacists be handling questions – by telephone, through computer systems, or by other means? Any questions presented to the individual pharmacists will be routed through the Contractor. Individual Virtual Pharmacists will not have to handle questions and this task is meant mainly for the Contractor as a whole.

16. PWS 2.7: Does the Government have requirements for contractor computer equipment that will be used to perform the virtual pharmacist tasks? There are no specific technical requirements but need to be running Windows 10 or newer to work properly with the

VPN.

17. PWS B.2 PRICE/COST: “Contractor will process a minimum of 10,000 prescriptions per month with a projected maximum of 100,000 prescriptions per month.”

Question: The contractor will need to have personnel on payroll and with the appropriate equipment to support the 10,000 to 100,000 prescriptions. Will the Government reduce the monthly fee if there are less than 10,000 prescriptions available for the contractor to process in a month? Price will not change based on the number of prescriptions processed. The number provided in the PWS is to give a range for the potential vendors to manage staffing requirements.

18. PWS 7.1: “…The contractor will connect to the VA Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VISTA) computer system utilizing a Virtual Private

Network (VPN) via VA Citrix Access Gateway (CAG). The contractor will have access to the VISTA Pharmacy package and CPRS patient chart at each medical center.”

Question: Does each medical center require a separate instance of the VPN to access the VISTA Pharmacy package and CPRS patient chart? Can one VPN be used to access the VISTA Pharmacy package and CPRS patient chart at the 7 medical centers in the solicitation? All site VISTA/CPRS can be accessed via one instance of the VPN.

Separate VPN’s will not be required.

19. PWS 11.10.3 “The VA facility will pay for investigations conducted by the Office of

Personnel Management (OPM) in advance. In these instances, the contractor will reimburse the VA facility within 30 days.”

a. Are contractor’s employees allowed to work while the OPM investigation is taking place? No, it is supposed to have been completed prior to the beginning of the contract date.

b. How long does the OPM investigation take? It varies based on the type of investigation, how well the person needing the clearance completes the background, if the person has issues in the investigation, and workload of the

PSAC that is doing the clearance.

c. What is the cost of the OPM investigation per employee? Varies based on the type of investigation needed.

A.1 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JUL 2021)

(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard. The

NAICS code(s) and small business size standard(s) for this acquisition appear elsewhere in the solicitation. However, the small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, but which proposes to furnish an item which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.

(b) Submission of offers. Submit signed and dated offers to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Offers may be submitted on the SF 1449, letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. Submitted offers will be limited to Times New

Roman 12-point font, 1” margins, and portrait layout. Offers may be submitted in either Microsoft Word or

Adobe PDF format. Each Evaluation Factor found in FAR 52.212-2 shall be submitted as separate volumes and clearly labeled. As a minimum, offers must show—

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the offeror;

(4) A technical description of the items being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(5) Terms of any express warranty;

(6) Price and any discount terms;

(7) "Remit to" address, if different than mailing address;

(8) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically);

(9) Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments;

(10) Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information). Recent and relevant includes past performance within the past three (3) years and same or like the current requirement. The vendor may submit no more than six (6) past performance references with their offer.; and

(11) If the offer is not submitted on the SF 1449, include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(c) Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of offers. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender's request and expense, unless they are destroyed during preaward testing.

(e) Multiple offers. Offerors are encouraged to submit multiple offers presenting alternative terms and conditions, including alternative line items (provided that the alternative line items are consistent with subpart 4.10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation), or alternative commercial items for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each offer submitted will be evaluated separately.

(f) Late submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers.

(1) Offerors are responsible for submitting offers, and any modifications, revisions, or withdrawals, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated

Government office on the date that offers or revisions are due.

(2)(i) Any offer, modification, revision, or withdrawal of an offer received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers is "late" and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made, the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition; and—

(A) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of offers; or

(B) There is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government installation designated for receipt of offers and was under the Government's control prior to the time set for receipt of offers; or

(C) If this solicitation is a request for proposals, it was the only proposal received.

(ii) However, a late modification of an otherwise successful offer, that makes its terms more favorable to the Government, will be considered at any time it is received and may be accepted.

(3) Acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at the Government installation includes the time/date stamp of that installation on the offer wrapper, other documentary evidence of receipt maintained by the installation, or oral testimony or statements of Government personnel.

(4) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that offers cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of offers by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of offers will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal

Government processes resume.

(5) Offers may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers. Oral offers in response to oral solicitations may be withdrawn orally. If the solicitation authorizes facsimile offers, offers may be withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers, subject to the conditions specified in the solicitation concerning facsimile offers. An offer may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or its authorized representative if, before the exact time set for receipt of offers, the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is established and the person signs a receipt for the offer.

(g) Contract award (not applicable to Invitation for Bids). The Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors. Therefore, the offeror's initial offer should contain the offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

(h) Multiple awards. The Government may accept any item or group of items of an offer, unless the offeror qualifies the offer by specific limitations. Unless otherwise provided in the Schedule, offers may not be submitted for quantities less than those specified. The Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit prices offered, unless the offeror specifies otherwise in the offer.

(i) Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation.

(1)(i) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR

Part 101-29, and copies of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained for a fee by submitting a request to—

GSA Federal Supply Service Specifications Section

Suite 8100 470 East L'Enfant Plaza, SW

Washington, DC 20407

Telephone (202) 619-8925

Facsimile (202) 619-8978.

(ii) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans

Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the following

ASSIST websites:

(i) ASSIST (https://assist.dla.mil/online/start/);

(ii) Quick Search (http://quicksearch.dla.mil/);

(3) Documents not available from ASSIST may be ordered from the Department of Defense Single

Stock Point (DoDSSP) by?

(i) Using the ASSIST Shopping Wizard (https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm);

(ii) Phoning the DoDSSP Customer Service Desk (215) 697-2179, Mon-Fri, 0730 to 1600 EST; or

(iii) Ordering from DoDSSP, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-

5094, Telephone (215) 697-2667/2179, Facsimile (215) 697-1462.

(4) Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance.

(j) Unique entity identifier. (Applies to all offers that exceed the micro-purchase threshold and offers at or below the micro-purchase threshold if the solicitation requires the Contractor to be registered in the

System for Award Management (SAM).) The Offeror shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its offer, the annotation ‘‘Unique Entity Identifier’’ followed by the unique entity identifier that identifies the Offeror’s name and address. The Offeror also shall enter its Electronic Funds

Transfer (EFT) indicator, if applicable. The EFT indicator is a four-character suffix to the unique entity https://assist.dla.mil/online/start/ http://quicksearch.dla.mil/ https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm identifier. The suffix is assigned at the discretion of the Offeror to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative EFT accounts (see FAR subpart 32.11) for the same entity. If the Offeror does not have a unique entity identifier, it should contact the entity designated at www.sam.gov for unique entity identifier establishment directly to obtain one. The Offeror should indicate that it is an offeror for a

Government contract when contacting the entity designated at www.sam.gov for establishing the unique entity identifier.

(k) [Reserved]

(l) Debriefing. If a post-award debriefing is given to requesting offerors, the Government shall disclose the following information, if applicable:

(1) The agency's evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the debriefed offeror's offer.

(2) The overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the successful and the debriefed offeror and past performance information on the debriefed offeror.

(3) The overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency during source selection.

(4) A summary of the rationale for award;

(5) For acquisitions of commercial items, the make and model of the item to be delivered by the successful offeror.

(6) Reasonable responses to relevant questions posed by the debriefed offeror as to whether source-selection procedures set forth in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed by the agency.

(End of Provision)

52.212-2 EVALUATION—SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES

(a) Basis for Award. The Government will issue a purchase order to the responsible quoter whose quotation conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. Best Value Trade-Off will be used to determine which quote is the most advantageous.

(b) The following factors and subfactors shall be used to evaluate quotations:

(1) Technical Capability

Qualifications of Key Personnel shall provide CVs/Resume detailing work history and education, with at least six (6) proposed pharmacists demonstrating experience of VistA and

CPRS and knowledge of VA formulary and non-formulary criteria within the past 3 years.

Pharmacists have applicable licenses, certifications, and U.S. citizenship. Pharmacists with skills assessments, competencies to provide required services. Pharmacists able to provide own computer with capability to access VA network.

(2) Management Capability

Plan to perform the solicitation requirements, which includes the ability to verify a minimum of

10,000 prescriptions per month and projected maximum of 100,000 prescriptions per month.

Quality Assurance Plan including but not limited to capability to meeting security requirements and performance reviews. Management approach to include method of scheduling to provide and always manage at least six (6) qualified pharmacists. Detailed Quality Control Procedures.

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/

Detailed contingency plan relating to hiring and retention practices for qualified candidates, i.e.

qualifications of potential hires, educational requirements, continuing education requirements, etc.

(3) Past Performance

(4) Price

(c) Evaluation Approach. The Government will evaluate quotations using the comparative evaluation process outlined in FAR 13.106-2 (b) (3), where quotations will be compared to one another to determine which provides the best benefit to the Government. The Government reserves the right to consider a quotation other than the lowest price that provides additional benefit(s). Quotations may exceed minimum requirements of the solicitation. The Government reserves the right to select a quotation that provides benefit to the Government that exceeds the minimum requirements of the solicitation but is not required to do so. Each response must meet the minimum requirements of the solicitation. The Government is not requesting or accepting alternate quotations. Technical Approach and Management Capability are equal in importance and when combined with Past Performance, are more important than Price. The evaluation will consider the following:

(1) Technical Capability: The quotation will be evaluated to the extent to which it can meet and/or exceed the Government’s requirements as outlined in the solicitation and based on the information requested in the instructions to quoters section of the solicitation.

(2) Management Capability: The quotation will be evaluated to the extent to which it can meet and/or exceed the Government’s requirements in regards to how the Offeror will manage the required actions found in the Statement of Work.

(3) Past Performance: The past performance evaluation will assess the relative risks associated with a quoter’s likelihood of success in fulfilling the solicitation’s requirements as indicated by the quoter’s record of past performance. The past performance evaluation may be based on the contracting officer’s knowledge of and previous experience with the supply or service being acquired; Customer surveys, and past performance questionnaire replies; Contractor Performance

Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) at http://www.cpars.gov/; or any other reasonable basis.

(4) Price: The Government will evaluate the price by adding the total of all line item prices. The Total

Evaluated Price will be that sum.

(d) Options. The Government will evaluate quotations for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement.

(End of Provision) http://www.cpars.gov/ http://www.cpars.gov/