36C25621Q1021.docx

Contract Opportunity Sources Sought Notice

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* = Required Field Contract Opportunity Sources Sought Notice Q517 Emergency Prescription Fill Service 72703 36C25621Q1021 06-02-2021 14:00

CENTRAL TIME, CHICAGO, USA

N 446110 Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Network Contracting Office 16 2575 Keystone Crossing Fayetteville AR 72703 Contract Specialist Jonathan Labitad jonathan.labitad@va.gov 479-444-5011 Department of Veterans Affairs Alexandria Veterans Healthcare System (AVHCS) 2495 Shreveport Highway 71 North Pineville LA 71360

USA

jonathan.labitad@va.gov Contract Specialist

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT INQUIRY ONLY!!!

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Network Contracting Office (NCO)16, in Fayetteville, AR is seeking potential sources with the capability to dispense prescription medications for patients served by the ALEXANDRIA VETERANS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (AVAHCS) and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) listed in the Statement of Work (SOW), during urgent and emergent situations where AVAHCS and/or its CBOCs and internal pharmacies may be unavailable due to natural or manmade disasters. As well as, first-fill pharmacy services for patients with an urgent or emergency need for medication for 36 days with an option for 3 months. The proposed NAICS code for this requirement is 446110, with a small business size standard of $30 Million. The attached Statement of Work (SOW) provides details of the work to be performed, the standards to be met, and the regulatory guidance to be complied with. If your organization is capable of meeting the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW), you may indicate your interest in providing these services by providing the following information:

Business Name Point of Contact DUNS Number Capability Statement (no more than 2 pages)

In accordance with Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation clause 852.212-72, all interested parties must provide documentation from the manufacturer confirming you are a regular dealer, distributor, and/or retailer, in order to be eligible for award of a contract for these services. Email the above information to Contract Specialist Jonathan R. Labitad at Jonathan.labitad@va.gov. Any questions should be addressed to the Contracting Specialist, in writing, at the email address provided above.

Because this is a Sources Sought announcement only, answers to questions will not be posted. The deadline for submission of information is 2:00 PM CT, Wednesday, June 02, 2021.

DISCLAIMER: This is a Sources Sought announcement only, which may or may not lead to a future solicitation. This announcement is issued solely for information and planning purposes. All information received in response to this announcement that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this announcement

ALEXANDRIA VETERANS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (AVAHCS)

2495 SHREVEPORT HIGHWAY 71 NORTH

PINEVILLE, LA 71360

Urgent and Emergent Medications

SCOPE OF WORK: The Alexandria Veterans Healthcare System (AVHCS), 2495 Shreveport Highway 71 North, Pineville, LA 71360, requires an external vendor with the capability to dispense prescription medications for patients served by the medical center and the below listed Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) during urgent and emergent situations where AVAHCS and/or its CBOCs and internal pharmacies may be unavailable due to natural or manmade disasters as well as first-fill pharmacy services for patients with an urgent or emergency need for medication for 36 days with an option for 3 months.

Locations: The site of the pharmacy must be within the Continental United States.

The following is a list of locations:

Alexandria VAHCS 2495 Shreveport Highway 71 North Pineville, LA 71360 Lake Charles CBOC 3601 Gerstner Memorial Drive, HWY 14 Lake Charles, LA 70607

Jennings Clinic 1907 Johnson Street, Jennings, LA 70546 Fort Polk CBOC 3353 University Parkway Leesville, LA 71446

Lafayette CBOC Campus A 3149 Ambassador Caffery Parkway Lafayette, LA 70501 Natchitoches CBOC 740 Keyser Avenue Natchitoches, LA 71457

Lafayette CBOC Campus B 309 Julien Avenue Lafayette, LA 70506

A. General Requirements for AVAHCS

1. Hours of Service: The contractor at a minimum will provide pharmaceutical services from 8:00a.m. - 5:00p.m. Monday through Saturday. The CBOCs usual hours of operation are from 8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m., Monday through Friday.

2. Dispensing pharmacies must be able to accept the written prescriptions on VA Form 10-2577F, Security Prescription Form. Should the state in which the dispensing pharmacy operate require other than the VA Form 10-2577F, Security Prescription Form, it will be the contractor’s responsibility to provide the VA Medical Center, Chief of Pharmacy, with the regulation/requirement ordering addresses, and ordering information needed to provide the affected CBOC with the proper security form.

3. AVAHCS patients must be able to pick up their medication at minimum from pharmacies in the CVS Caremark, Walgreens, Walmart, and Rite Aid networks.

4. Medications dispensed will be generic medications whenever possible. Brand name drugs to be dispensed only if no generic form of the drug exists in the marketplace.

5. Medications to be covered under this contract which typically should be started immediately or should not have an interruption in therapy include

a. Antibiotics

b. Acute care pain medications

c. Insulin

d. Medications that require monitoring levels (e.g., valproic acid)

e. Medications that may have rebound or withdrawal effects (e.g., selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, clonidine, and beta-blockers)

f. Albuterol inhalers or nebulizer solution

6. A patient’s supply will be limited to a maximum of 36 days with an option for 3 months except in the instance that the drug is in a discrete package and cannot be dispensed in a smaller quantity than the package size (EX: inhaler, dosepak, insulin vial).

7. This contractual arrangement is not to be utilized for non-urgent/emergent medications.

8. This contract is not to be utilized for refills except for medications that should not have an interruption in therapy as described above.

9. The contractor must follow the national VA formulary but also be able to allow for custom formulary edits by AVAHCS, including the ability to restrict dispensing of certain products. These edits must take effect within two business days.

10. VA beneficiaries will pick up their prescriptions at the dispensing pharmacy. No prescriptions are to be mailed or delivered.

11. The contractor is responsible for assuring that all persons, whether they be employees, agents, sub-contractors, or anyone acting for or on behalf of the contractor, are properly licensed at all times under applicable state law and/or regulations and may be subject to privileging and or background checks by the VA.

12. The contractor shall provide Pharmacy Management Services to include traditional prescription screening, dispensing and counseling services (by a registered and licensed pharmacist) to eligible veterans.

13. Printed drug information will be provided to each patient to supplement verbal instructions. These services will require a medication history and check for allergies, interactions and duplications.

14. Pharmacies authorized to fill prescriptions under the contractor’s plan must agree to the following conditions:

a. The contractor and its contract pharmacies shall keep all information concerning VA beneficiaries confidential and shall not release or disclose information to any person, except as authorized by the patient in writing and according to all applicable laws. The Privacy Act of 1974, public Law 93-579 applies to this contract.

b. Representatives of the VA are authorized to visit the premises of any pharmacy filling VA prescriptions under the contractor’s plan during business hours for the purpose of auditing and evaluation, which may include the inspection of clinical records. A VA representative shall be given access during regular business hours, and upon reasonable notice, to such books, records, invoices, and prescription files as deemed necessary to verify claim information, prescription volume, and the usual and customary charges to the general public for covered prescriptions.

c. Contract pharmacies shall maintain a log of VA prescriptions filled and have the patient sign next to each prescription number for each prescription received. A copy of the log shall be maintained at the contract pharmacy and be readily accessible for random VA inspection.

d. All adverse drug events reported to the contractor’s pharmacies by beneficiaries of the VA will be reported to Pharmacy Services at AVAHCS in Alexandria, LA. Adverse drug events include dispensing errors, drug allergies, and adverse drug reactions.

e. Pharmaceutical care provided to beneficiaries under this contract shall meet all standards applicable to the current Joint Commission accreditation manual for Ambulatory Care/Pharmaceutical Services.

15. Medical supplies such as catheters, ostomy supplies, and wound care supplies for outpatients are to be covered.

16. Pharmaceutical compounding services are to be covered when no commercial product is available. All compounding must be performed by Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB)-accredited pharmacies. All compounded medications must have prior approval by the AVAHCS Associate Chief of Pharmacy or his representative.

17. Schedule of Insurance: The contractor shall procure and maintain for the entire contract period: Workmen's Compensation and employer's general liability Insurance. Prior to contract award, the contractor shall certify to the Contracting Officer in writing and provided documentation that the required insurance has been obtained. The parties agree that such contracted personnel shall not be considered a VA employee for any purpose and shall be considered employees of the contractor.

18. Price Schedule: The contract rate is an all-inclusive rate. No separate fees will be allowed for such incidental costs of malpractice insurance coverage, supplies, equipment, etc. The price for the medications will be based on a negotiated percentage of the Average Wholesale Price (AWP) and a dispensing fee. The total price charge to the VA shall not exceed that charged to the general public and shall not exceed the price charged by the contractor’s lowest third-party reimbursement plan.

19. Contractor shall provide dispensing fee prescription and discounts offered, as well as indicate the AWP source (Blue Book, Medispan, or Red Book) it is using to base their discount on, after award to the COR.

20. Environment of Care: The contractor shall maintain a clean and safe environment always.

21. Contracting with Parties Listed on the Office of the Inspector General List of Excluded Individuals/Entities: In accordance with HIPAA and the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1977, the Office of Inspector General has established a list of parties and entities excluded from Federal health care programs. Specifically, the listed parties and entities may not receive Federal payments due to fraud and/or abuse of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The list of excluded individuals/entities can be found on the OIG web site at www.hhs.gov/oig. At the signing of the contract, the contractor is affirming that OIG site has been reviewed and that none of the contractor’s employees are on this list.

22. Invoices: The monthly summary invoice shall include a subtotal of each clinic with the number of scripts written at that clinic and the overall costs. There shall also be an attached spreadsheet that reflects: Patient’s name, last 4 of social security number, medication, days fill, total medication dispensed and cost for each of the clinics. Please e-mail the same information, encrypted, to COR or designee.

23. The Government reserves the right to fill any prescription covered under this contract using its own resources and/or staff.

24. Under the authority of Public Law 104-262 and 38 USC 8153, the contractor agrees to provide Health Care Resources in accordance with the terms and conditions stated herein, to furnish the services and prices specified in this contract.