S02 RFQ 36C25725Q0072_1 Final.pdf

PAGE 1 OF 1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE 4. ORDER NO. 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls) 8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: % FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR CODE FACILITY CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

TELEPHONE NO. UEI: EFT:

PHONE: FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

ITEM NO. SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________ 29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION (REV. NOV 2021)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

36C257-25-AP-0238

504-25-3-046-0010

36C25725Q0072 02-03-2025

Carolyn Reneau, Contract Specialist 469-578-2997 03-03-2025

02:00pm CST

36C257

Department of Veterans Affairs

VHA RPO West – NCO 17

Health Care Resources Branch

11495 Turner Rd

El Paso TX 79936-1372

Carolyn Reneau 469-578-2997 carolyn.reneau@va.gov

X 100

X

Y

621399

$10 Million

Net 30 days

N/A

X

36C504

Amarillo VA Health Care System

Pharmacy Services

6010 Amarillo Blvd West

Amarillo TX 79106-1990

36C257

See Block 9

36C104

Financial Services Center (FSC)

Department of Veterans Affairs

Submit invoices IAW VAAR 852.232-72

P.O. Box 149971

Austin TX 78714-8971

(877) 353-9791 (512) 460-5540

See CONTINUATION Page

Contractor shall provide Virtual Pharmacy services to complete medication/supply orders (henceforth referred to as

“medication orders”) for the Amarillo VA Medical Center.

This includes the professional pharmacist review and problem solving needed to assure medication orders are safe and accurate.

Performance Work Statement located in pages 8 through 15.

Authority: Title 38 U.S.C. §8153-Sharing of Health-Care

Resources

Procedures: VAAR 873 Simplified Acquisition Procedures for

Health-Care Resources.

See Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 for submittal instructions on pages 49 through 51.

The offerors shall be registered in SAM.gov and verified at the time of offer and award.

VAAR 852.273-73 Evaluation factors on pages 57 through 58.

See CONTINUATION Page

X X

X 1

Carlos Jaquez

VA-VHA-RPOW-2024-0021

36C25725Q0072

Table of Contents

SECTION A

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

B.2 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

B.3 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

B.1 IT CONTRACT SECURITY

SECTION C - CONTRACT CLAUSES

C.1 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

(NOV 2023)

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND

COMMERCIAL SERVICES

C.2 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

C.3 52.204-21 BASIC SAFEGUARDING OF COVERED CONTRACTOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS (NOV 2021)

C.4 52.216-18 ORDERING (AUG 2020)

C.5 52.216-19 ORDER LIMITATIONS (OCT 1995)

C.6 52.216-22 INDEFINITE QUANTITY (OCT 1995)

C.7 52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)

C.8 52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000)

C.9 52.232-19 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR (APR 1984)

C.10 VAAR 852.201-70 CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (DEC 2022)

C.11 VAAR 852.203-70 COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING (MAY 2018)

C.12 VAAR 852.204-71 INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY (FEB 2023)

C.13 VAAR 852.208-70 SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED AND VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS EVALUATION FACTORS – ORDERS or BPAs (JAN 2023) (DEVIATION)

C.14 VAAR 852.208-71 SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED AND VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

EVALUATION FACTOR COMMITMENTS-ORDERS AND BPAS (JAN 2023) (DEVIATION)

C.15 VAAR 852.211-76 LIQUIDATED DAMAGES - REIMBURSEMENT FOR DATA BREACH COSTS (FEB 2023)

C.17 VAAR 852.215-70 SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED AND VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

EVALUATION FACTORS (JAN 2023) (DEVIATION)

C.16 VAAR 852.215-71 EVALUATION FACTOR COMMITMENTS (OCT 2019)

C.18 VAAR 852.232-72 ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PAYMENT REQUESTS (NOV 2018)

C.19 VAAR 852.237-70 INDEMNIFICATION AND MEDICAL LIABILITY INSURANCE (OCT 2019)

C.20 VAAR 852.237-74 NON-DISCRIMINATION IN SERVICE DELIVERY (OCT 2019)

C.21 VAAR 852.237-75 KEY PERSONNEL (OCT 2019)

C.22 VAAR 852.242-71 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICER (OCT 2020)

C.23 52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE

ORDERS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (JAN 2025)

SECTION D - CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, OR ATTACHMENTS

D.1 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan – 36C25725Q0072 – Virtual After-Hours Pharmacy

D.2 Background Investigation Forms - 36C25725Q0072 – Virtual After-Hours Pharmacy

D.3 Experience Worksheet - 36C25725Q0072 – Virtual After-Hours Pharmacy

D.4 Contractor Rules of Behavior

D.5 Contractor Certification – Immigration and Nationality Act

D.6 Organizational Conflicts of Interest

SECTION E - SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

E.1 52.201-1 ACQUISITION 360: VOLUNTARY SURVEY (SEP 2023)

E.2 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (SEP 2023)

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL

SERVICES

E.3 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

E.4 52.204-24 REPRESENTATION REGARDING CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT (NOV 2021)

E.5 52.204-29 FEDERAL ACQUISITION SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY ACT ORDERS—REPRESENTATION AND

DISCLOSURES (DEC 2023)

E.6 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

E.7 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006)

E.8 VAAR 852.209-70 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST (OCT 2020)

E.9 VAAR 852.233-70 PROTEST CONTENT/ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (OCT 2018)

E.10 VAAR 852.233-71 ALTERNATE PROTEST PROCEDURE (OCT 2018)

E.11 VAAR 852.239-75 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE (FEB 2023)

E.12 VAAR 852.252-70 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS OR CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (JAN 2008)

E.13 VAAR 852.273-70 LATE OFFERS (NOV 2021)

E. 14 VAAR 852.273-73 EVALUATION—HEALTH-CARE RESOURCES (NOV 2021)

E.15 VAAR 852.273-74 AWARD WITHOUT EXCHANGES (NOV 2021)

E.16 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND

COMMERCIAL SERVICES (MAY 2024)

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

Contract Administration: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

1. CONTRACTOR (Offerors are required to designate a person for prompt contract administration):

Contractor Name:

Address:

Point of Contact:

Title:

Phone:

Email:

Tax ID Number:

SAM Unique Entity ID:

2. GOVERNMENT: The Contracting Officer/Contract Specialist for Administration named below is responsible for the overall administration of the contract.

Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Regional Procurement Office West - NCO 17

Carlos Jaquez, Contracting Officer Phone: 915-217-1249 Email: carlos.jaquez@va.gov

Carolyn Reneau, Contract Specialist Phone: 469-578-2997 Email: carolyn.reneau@va.gov

The Contractor is advised that only the Contracting Officer, acting within the scope of the contract and his/her duties and responsibilities and, after advice and consultation with the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), has the authority to make changes which effect contract prices, quality, quantity, delivery terms and conditions, or the term of the contract.

In no event, shall any understanding or agreement, modification, change order, or other matters in deviation from the terms of this Contract between Contractor and a person other than the Contracting Officer, be effective or binding upon the Government. All such actions must be formalized by the proper contractual document executed by the Contracting Officer.

3. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE: Prior to contract award, the Contracting Officer will designate a VA

Medical Center employee as COR. All work coordination shall be made through the COR. The Contractor shall be provided a copy of the letter of delegation authorizing the COR at the commencement of the term of this agreement. No other person shall be authorized to act in such capacity unless appointed in writing by the Contracting Officer.

4. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the Contractor will be made in accordance with:

[X] 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—System for Award Management, or [ ] 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—Other Than System for Award Management mailto:carlos.jaquez@va.gov mailto:carolyn.reneau@va.gov

5. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

a. Quarterly [ ]

b. Semi-Annually [ ]

c. Other [X] Monthly in Arrears

6. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: All invoices from the Contractor shall be electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests. Invoicing shall be in accordance with the requirements of The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Financial Services Center (VAFSC). The latest information shall be used for invoicing and payments and may change during the Period of Performance of this acquisition.

Currently Invoicing information is located at http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp.

For inquires only:

Mailing Address: Department of Veterans Affairs

Financial Services Center

FMS-VA-2 (621)

P.O. Box 149971

Austin, TX 78714-8971 FSC e-Invoice Phone: (877) 353-9791 FSC Facsimile: (512) 460-5540 FSC e-Invoice Email: vafsccshd@va.gov

7. POST AWARD ORIENTATION: The Contracting Officer will schedule a post award orientation for contract orientation purposes as required by VA Acquisition Manual, Part M842.502-70. (If Applicable)

8. MANDATORY WRITTEN DISCLOSURES: Mandatory written disclosures required by FAR clause 52.203-13 to the

Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG) must be made electronically through the VA OIG Hotline at http://www.va.gov/oig/contacts/hotline.asp and clicking on "FAR clause 52.203-13 Reporting." If you experience difficulty accessing the website, call the Hotline at 1-800-488-8244 for further instructions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The Offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

AMENDMENT NO DATE

(End of Administration Data) http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp mailto:vafsccshd@va.gov http://www.va.gov/oig/contacts/hotline.asp

B.2 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

The Contractor shall provide Virtual Pharmacy services to complete pending medication/supply orders (henceforth referred to as “medication orders”) for the Amarillo VA Medical Center. This includes the professional pharmacist review and problem solving needed to assure medication orders are safe and accurate. Contractor shall provide sufficient pharmacists to review authorized medication orders for the requested site. Each contract pharmacist must have a full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or the District of Columbia. Contract pharmacist(s) must maintain current registration and must be proficient in verbal and written English.

Contract Type: The Government contemplates award of a Fixed-Price (FP), Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract resulting from this solicitation.

Place of Performance: Services will be provided virtually and will support the Amarillo VA Medical Center located in Amarillo, Texas.

Pricing Instructions: Pricing information shall be submitted as a firm-fixed price. The quoted rate shall be submitted as an all-inclusive hourly rate.

The Contractor shall propose virtual pharmacy services to meet the requirements of the order.

Estimated Quantities: Quantities on the Schedule of Services are estimated for a period of a base year plus four (4) one-year options.

Contractual minimum and maximum: the guaranteed minimum contract amount, including the base year and any option years exercised, is $5,800.00 and the maximum contract amount, including the base year and any option years exercised, shall not exceed $450,000.00. The Government does not guarantee that it will place any orders under this contract in excess of the guaranteed minimum award amounts.

Orders: Orders shall be placed against this IDIQ contract at the time of contract award, and as needed during the term of the contract. The Task Orders shall specify the estimated quantities of services for the period of performance and shall comply with FAR 52.216-18 and 52.216-19.

Ordering Procedures: Only the Contracting Officer may place orders against resultant IDIQ contracts following this solicitation. Any changes to the below schedule of services shall only be made via written modification that is formally executed by the Contractor and Contracting Officer.

Note 1: As part of price evaluation, the Government will evaluate its option to extend services (see FAR Clause 52.217- 8). The evaluation will assume that the prices for any option exercised under FAR 52.217-8 will be at the same rates as those in effect under the contract at the time the option is exercised. The evaluation will therefore assume that the addition of the price or prices of any possible extension or extensions under FAR 52.217-8 to the total price for the basic requirement and the total price for the priced options has the same effect on the total price of all proposals relative to each other, and will not affect the ranking of proposals based on price, unless, after reviewing the proposals, the Government determines that there is a basis for finding otherwise. This evaluation will not obligate the Government to exercise any option under FAR 52.217-8.

Period of Performance:

Base year August 1, 2025 - July 31, 2026

LIN Description of Services Quantity Unit Unit Price Total

0001 Pharmacy Services – After Hours medication order processing 3380 HR $ $ Total Base Year $

Option Year One August 1, 2026 - July 31, 2027

LIN Description of Services Quantity Unit Unit Price Total

1001 Pharmacy Services – After Hours medication order processing 3384 HR $ $ Total Option Year One $

Option Year Two August 1, 2027 - July 31, 2028

2001 Pharmacy Services – After Hours medication order processing 3384 HR $ $ Total Option Year Two $

Option Year Three August 1, 2028 - July 31, 2029

3001 Pharmacy Services – After Hours medication order processing 3372 HR $ $ Total Option Year Three $

Option Year Four August 1, 2029 - July 31, 2030

4001 Pharmacy Services – After Hours medication order processing 3380 HR $ $ Total Option Year Four $

GRAND TOTAL: $

(End of Schedule of Services)

B.3 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

A. INTRODUCTION

1. Services Provided: The Contractor shall provide Virtual Pharmacy services to complete pending medication/supply orders (henceforth referred to as “medication orders”) for the Amarillo VA Medical Center. This includes the professional pharmacist review and problem solving needed to assure medication orders are safe and accurate. The contractor must be a U.S. based company capable of providing pharmacy services to be completed via a secure web-based system provided by the contractor. 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 electronic medical record at the Amarillo VA Medical Center. The contractor shall provide a sufficient number of licensed pharmacists to process all orders to completion. The Department of Veteran’s Affairs prohibits the “offshoring” of work under this contract and for all telehealth contracts. No “offshoring” means that no contractor performance or work under this contract shall occur outside of the Continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, or their territories or possessions of the United States.

2. Place of Performance: Services will be provided virtually but will service the Amarillo VA Medical Center located in Amarillo, Texas.

3. This contract is for non-personal services. It does not create employment rights with the U.S.

Government whether actual, inherent, or implied. By agreeing to perform the services described in these specifications, the Contractor acknowledges that he/she is not, and shall not become, an employee of the U.S. Government. The Contractor further agrees that he/she shall not bring any cause of action in any forum claiming that he/she has become an employee of the U.S. Government.

4. This contract is a “non-personal services contract” as defined in FAR 37.101. It is, therefore, understood and agreed that the Contractor and/or the Contractor’s employees or subcontractor.

a. Shall perform the services specified herein as independent Contractors, not as employees of the government.

b. Shall manage and administer the work required and bear sole responsibility for complying with all technical, schedule, or financial requirements or constraints attendant to the performance of this Contract.

c. Shall be free from supervision or control by any government employee with respect to the manner or method of performance of the services specified.

d. Shall, pursuant to the government’s right and obligation to inspect, accept, or reject the work, comply with such general direction of the Contracting Officer, or the duly authorized representative of the Contracting Officer as is necessary to ensure accomplishment of the contract objectives.

5. Contractor shall provide sufficient pharmacists to review authorized medication orders for the requested site. Each contract pharmacist must have a full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or the District of Columbia. Contract pharmacist(s) must maintain current registration and must be proficient in verbal and written English.

6. The Contractor will review authorized physician medication orders at specified time periods identified in the statement of work. After review, Contractor pharmacists will process and verify orders remotely.

7. The VA will monitor the Contractor employees’ work to ensure contract compliance.

8. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs credentials personnel nominated by the contractor to perform services under this contract in the same manner as VA’s own healthcare personnel through credentialling. Therefore, notwithstanding other contract requirements, the Contracting Officer, in consultation with the Chief of the relevant pharmacy department, may suspend or terminate a pharmacist’s credentials and the IT access of any pharmacist who does not comply with orientation requirements or meet competency requirements for the work being performed. Upon suspension or termination of IT access, the pharmacist is not eligible to perform or work under this contract and the contractor shall not invoice for the pharmacist’s services or work.

B. OBJECTIVES

The Virtual Pharmacy Services Contractor and COR from the Amarillo VA Medical Center will work together to increase the efficiency of the virtual pharmacy program, and both parties will collaborate to enhance services and increase efficiency as it relates to the delivery of medication orders.

C. SCOPE

1. VIRTUAL PHARMACY SERVICES PROVIDED BY CONTRACTOR

a. The Virtual Pharmacy Services Contractor shall provide drug knowledge resources and pharmacist medication order review and entry services as stated for the Amarillo VA medical center. The Contractor will review authorized physician medication orders that are faxed, scanned, transmitted to or accessed by the contractor during the required time periods identified in the Statement of Work. The contractor will check for medication orders in the Inpatient (including clinic medication orders and CLC orders) and/or Outpatient VISTA Pharmacy package (e.g., Inpatient Order Entry or Patient Prescription Processing, respectively) pending orders queue (Non-Verified/Pending Orders or Complete orders from OERR, respectively) every fifteen

(15) minutes. After review, contractor pharmacists will process and finish/verify orders via their remote access.

The contractor and the Amarillo VA Medical Center will develop a contingency plan to accommodate the verification process in the event of computer/VISTA shutdown (i.e., faxing). Direct calls from the Amarillo VA Medical Center will be for emergency orders and consultations. Emergency orders shall be processed within 15 minutes of contact.

b. The pharmacist shall evaluate each prescription for drug-drug interactions, contraindications for recorded drug allergies, appropriate doses/titration scales/pain scales, accurate directions, and as applicable, appropriate order start/stop time to ensure the final order will be active at the appropriate time and understandable to the nurse administering or patient taking the medication. Pending medication not meeting standards for completeness, restrictions, lacking clinical information and those requiring consults shall be clarified with the prescriber prior to processing.

c. Using the VA National Formulary (VANF), which is updated monthly and accessible at http://www.pbm.va.gov/PBM/NationalFormulary.asp, the pharmacist shall review pending orders and make efforts to utilize formulary agents. If efforts are not successful, the order shall be processed, and follow-up actions will be taken by the facility.

d. The Contractor shall:

i. Provide daily shift ‘sign off’ (by fax, voicemail, or web-based as agreed to by the COR at the Amarillo VA Medical Center) to include a summary of outstanding issues for follow-up by VA Pharmacy staff.

ii. Provide monthly report of activities under the contract (i.e., number of orders, number of questions answered, etc.) furnished to the Amarillo VA Medical Center. This report will be monthly and sent to the COR at the facility.

iii. Provide quarterly reports on quality improvement indicators for Amarillo VA Medical Center including:

1. Potential prescribing errors and other medication errors

2. Suspected adverse drug reactions or events

3. Information on new drugs and subsequent educational needs for VAMC staff

4. Reports will be quarterly and sent to the COR.

iv. Upon award provide policies and procedures for the virtual pharmacist services. These shall include orientation via written material and in-services, if required to the COR at the Amarillo VA Medical Center covered by this contract, involving clinical leadership, including night nursing supervisors, as well as pharmacy staff.

http://www.pbm.va.gov/PBM/NationalFormulary.asp

v. Comply with all applicable policies, rules and regulations of the Amarillo VA Medical Center of which they have been duly notified and shall not knowingly engage in any activity detrimental to the interest of the Amarillo VA Medical Center.

vi. Comply with all applicable standards of the Joint Commission including maintenance of competency training for all staff providing services to the Amarillo VA Medical Center.

vii. Complete and input all transcription notes directly into VISTA.

viii. Provide contract supervisor or designee contact to discuss errors, near misses, and any customer service complaints related to virtual pharmacist services. Contractor shall be available to respond to concerns within 24 hours of contact by the VA.

ix. Maintain a continuous Roster of Personnel of pharmacists who the contractor nominates to perform under this contact. Contractor shall assemble and maintain this roster for the purpose of credentialing.

The contractor shall submit a credentialing package for all new and replacement pharmacy personnel performing services under this contract as well as for re-credentialing the same pharmacists, which may need to occur during the contract term.

2. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

a. Amarillo VA Medical Center will provide the following:

i. VPN Access

ii. Computer Access to VISTA Pharmacy package

iii. List of Amarillo VA contact telephone numbers

iv. List of important medical center points-of-contact; Health Administrator On Duty (HODs); late shift on-call Pharmacist and phone numbers.

3. OPERATIONAL DAYS AND TIMES

a. Administrative Work Hours for the Amarillo VA are stated in the Price Schedule, exclusive of these holidays:

New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and any other day designated a holiday by federal law, Executive Order, or Presidential proclamation.

b. Clarification on the Coverage of Federal Holidays, Night Shift and Weekends

Amarillo

Service Start Service End

Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Monday at 7:00 a.m.

Monday at 11:00 p.m. Tuesday at 7:00 a.m.

Tuesday at 11:00 p.m. Wednesday at 7:00 a.m.

Wednesday at 11:00 p.m. Thursday at 7:00 a.m.

Thursday at 11:00 p.m. Friday at 7:00 a.m.

Friday at 11:00 p.m. Saturday at 7:00 a.m.

Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Sunday at 7:00 a.m.

Federal Holidays

Start at 7:00 p.m. on the holiday and end at 7:00 a.m. the next day

c. Coverage for Federal Holidays relates to the observed date of the holiday per OPM’s Federal

Holiday listing at Federal Holidays (opm.gov).

d. Coverage Expectation - It is the expectation of the Amarillo VA Medical Center in this contract that coverage periods that include the beginning of a Federal Holiday (i.e., passing 12AM on the Federal Holiday) follow through the usual coverage period through to its end. The required coverage periods for “Federal Holiday” https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ for the Amarillo VA Medical Center are in regard to the start of a new coverage period beginning on the Federal Holiday.

e. In contracting with the Federal Government, the vendor agrees to honor Presidential Executive

Orders closing agencies (see “Presidential Closing of Agencies” at http://www.opm.gov/policydata-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/holidays-work-schedules-and-pay/) within the confines of the contract and that the vendor will not charge any additional fees to provide coverage for these periods as the Department of Veterans Affairs honors such Executive Orders as additional Federal Holidays and, as such, the expectation is that the vendor will honor these days as Federal Holiday coverage as well.

f. However, it is the responsibility of the Amarillo VA Medical Center to notify the vendor of these Executive Order holidays to secure coverage and to specify if lesser coverage hours than the full Federal Holiday hours are preferable.

D. DEFINITIONS and ACRONYMS

a. AQL: Acceptable Quality Level

b. Acceptable Quality Level: An AQL is the maximum allowable degree of deviation from the standard and it is expressed as either a percentage of deviation from the performance standard or as an absolute number; an AQL with a deviation of zero, for example, means that no deviation from the standard is acceptable.

c. Business Day: A period between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

d. Contract: An agreement between two or more parties that is legally binding.

e. CDR: Contract Discrepancy Report

f. Contract Discrepancy Report: Formal documentation of a Contractor’s failure to some aspect of a Contract that explains why performance was unsatisfactory, how performance will be returned to satisfactory levels and how recurrence of the problem will be prevented in the future.

g. CO: Contracting Officer

h. Contracting Officer: A Government official with designated authority to enter into, administer, and terminate a Contract, and to make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Government.

i. COR: Contracting Officer Representative

j. Contracting Officer’s Representative: A Government official designated by the CO that’s responsible for providing Contract oversight and technical guidance to the Contracting Officer.

k. Contractor: The entity that enters into a Contract with the government resulting from award of any subsequent Contract.

l. EA: Each

m. Emergency: An immediate risk to a person's life or long-term health as determined by Veterans Affairs physician or another VA authorized provider.

n. FAR: Federal Acquisition Regulation.

o. HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

p. HR: Hour

q. IAW: In accordance with.

r. Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP): A written document that’s used by the Government to monitor a Contractor’s quality assurance program.

s. Solicitation: A request to submit offers or quotations to the government.

t. TJC: The Joint Commission

u. The Joint Commission: An organization that sets standards by which health care quality is measured.

v. The Schedule: The following portions of a Contract are considered part of the schedule: Contract form (SF 1449), price/cost schedule, performance of work statement, packaging and marking, inspection and acceptance, deliveries or performance, Contract administration data, and special Contract requirements.

E. THE JOINT COMMISSION AND OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

1. THE JOINT COMMISSION: The Contractor will be responsible to ensure that contractor employees providing work on this contract are fully trained and completely competent to perform the required work. Although this contract does not require TJC accreditation or other regulatory requirements regarding worker competency, the contractor must perform the required work in accordance with the TJC standards. A copy of these standards may be obtained from TJC, One renaissance Blvd., Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

2. Performance Evaluation: The contractor is required to provide a current performance evaluation (proficiency or competency) on each pharmacist providing services under the contract. The contractor will provide current copies of the performance evaluations at the time of contract award and annually on the anniversary date of contract award to the VA Contracting Officer, or upon request.

3. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS)/OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL (OIG): To ensure that the individuals providing services under the contract have not engaged in fraud or abuse regarding Sections 1128 and 1128A of the Social Security Act regarding federal health care programs, the Contractor is required to check the HHS - OIG, List of excluded individuals/entities on the OIG Website www.hhs.gov/oig for each person providing services under this contract. Further, the Contractor is required to certify in its proposal that all persons listed in the Contractor’s proposal have been compared against the OIG list and are not listed. During the performance of this contract, the Contractor is prohibited from using any individual or business listed on the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities.

4. RECORDS MANAGEMENT:

i. Citations to pertinent laws, codes and regulations such as 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31 and 33; Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552); Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a); 36 CFR Part 1222 and Part 1228.

ii. Contractor shall treat all deliverables under the Contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest.

iii. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the Contract using Government Records.

iv. Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected by the Freedom of Information Act.

v. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the Contract.

vi. The Government Agency owns the rights to all data/records produced as part of this Contract.

vii. The Government Agency owns the rights to all electronic information (electronic data, electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of this Contract. Contractor must deliver sufficient technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the agency to use the data.

viii. Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of competition [draft, final, etc.].

ix. No disposition of documents will be allowed without the prior written consent of the Agency Records Manager. The Agency and its Contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the Agency or destroyed without regard to the provisions of the Agency records schedules.

x. Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer’s approval prior to engaging in any Contractual relationship (sub-Contractor) in support of this Contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, this Contract. The Contractor (and any sub-Contractor) is required to abide by Government and Agency guidance for protecting sensitive and proprietary information.

5. PRIVACY POLICY TRAINING: Contractor personnel must complete VHA national Privacy Policy training or other VHA approved privacy training for Contractor furnished training that meets the requirements of the HHS Standards for Privacy of Individually-identifiable Health Information as determined by the VHA. Proof of training (e.g., training completion certificate) must be provided to the COR and the Information Security Officer at each facility (to be named upon award) for each Contractor employee providing the services under this Contract.

6. PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI): Contractor must adhere to the provisions of Public Law 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996 and the National Standards to Protect the Privacy and Security of Protected Health Information.

7. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS: A TIER-1 background investigation is required for this requirement. The Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or designated Government Representative for the contract is responsible for requesting background investigations for all contractor’s personnel. A Special Agreement Check (SAC) shall be conducted on all new contractor personnel. The SAC should be initiated and adjudicated prior to the contractor beginning work.

Reference VHA Directive 0710. See Section D for background investigation documents.

8. END OF CONTRACT RESPONSIBILITY: The Contractor agrees to provide self-certification that the data destruction requirements have been met and sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the contract.

F. CONTRACTOR QUALITY ASSURANCE:

1. Contractor personnel processing medication orders must have the education, training and experience appropriate to performing the scope of services needed. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to have an on-going quality assurance (QA) program consistent with the standards that will support the expectations stated in the PWS, and to resolve identified problems. The written plan shall delineate the objectives of the quality assurance activities, scope of the activities, activities for monitoring and evaluation, methods of implementation of the monitoring and evaluation activities, methods for reporting results, mechanisms for taking follow-up action and responsibilities of staff for each activity of the quality assurance program. Results of the Contractor’s QA program will be forwarded to the COR on a quarterly basis or upon request within 48 hours. The plan shall be provided with the Contractor’s proposal and a VA Pharmacist approved copy shall be included as a part of any subsequent award.

2. MONTHLY REPORTS: The Contractor shall evaluate the quality of medication orders and document the findings, conclusions, recommendations and actions taken. The report shall include information on special incidents, customer satisfaction, and performance improvement. Copies of aggregated data shall be forwarded to the COR on or before first Friday of the following month.

G. GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE

1. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT SUMMARY: The following Performance Requirement Summary (PRS) lists the Contract’s requirements, their associated performance standards, the Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL), and the methods of surveillance.

Service Requirement Performance Standard AQL

1. Ordering Procedures: Medication orders will be processed in a timely manner, AQL 98%

2. Processing Accuracy: Medication order will be processed accurately and appropriately with clinic judgment AQL

98%

3. Mandatory VA Training: Contractor personnel complete mandatory training courses (Privacy Policy, etc.)

annually, AQL 100%

4. Records Management: Maintain 100% accountability of all records without data breach.

2. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP): The QASP be used to document the Contractor’s performance.

The QASP includes various methods of assessing performance to ensure Contract requirements are being met.

3. EVALUATION OF PRS AND QASP: The PRS and QASP will be incorporated into any subsequent Contract. The Contractor will be given the opportunity to correct or address any adverse findings resulting from observations throughout the Period of Performance. Furthermore, failure to correct any major nonconformance could result in termination of the Contract for cause and/or adversely impact the Contractor’s ability to be selected for future Contracts as documented in the Contractor Performance Assessment Report System (CPARS).

H. DELIVERABLES

1. Reports/Deliverables: The contractor shall be responsible for complying with all reporting requirements established by the contract. Contractor shall be responsible for assuring the accuracy and completeness of all reports and other documents as well as the timely submission of each. Contractor shall comply with contract requirements regarding the appropriate reporting formats, instructions, submission timetables, and technical assistance as required.

The following are brief descriptions of required documents that must be submitted by Contractor: upon award, weekly, monthly. Quarterly, annually, etc. identified throughout the PWS and is provided here as a guide for contractor convenience. If an item is within the PWS and not listed here, the contractor remains responsible for the delivery of the item.

REQUIREMENT Section

SUBMIT AS NOTED SUBMIT TO:

License & Registration of each Pharmacist

A.5 With Quote & when there is a new pharmacist.

Contracting Officer & COR.

Contingency Plan to accommodate the verification process in the event of computer/VISTA shutdown

C.1.a With Quote and upon any changes to plan.

Contracting Officer and

COR

Provide Reports as listed in section C.1.d

C.1.d As required – monthly, quarterly, start of contract/option year.

COR

Background Investigation Forms D.2 At award & when there is a new pharmacist

Contracting Officer & COR

Performance Evaluation E.2 At award and annually COR

Pharmacists are not on O.I.G.

listing

E-3 With Quote and start of new Pharmacist

Contracting Officer

Training - Proof of VHA mandatory training

E.5 Annually COR

Contractor Quality Assurance Program

F.1 With Quote Contracting Officer

I. BILLING:

1. Invoice Requirements and supporting documentation: Supporting documentation and invoice must be submitted no later than the 20th workday of the following month in which services were rendered. Subsequent changes or corrections shall be submitted by separate invoice. In addition to information required for submission of a “proper” invoice in accordance with FAR 52.212-4 (g), all invoices must include:

i. Name and Address of Contractor

ii. Invoice Date and Invoice Number

iii. Agreement Number and Task Order Number

iv. Date of Service

v. Contractor’s Pharmacist (Name of Contractor’s employee)

vi. Number of Prescriptions filled

vii. Hourly Rate

viii. Quantity of hours worked

ix. Total price

2. The Contractor shall be paid hourly for hours covered in a monthly period.

3. Invoices will be electronically submitted to the Tungsten website at https://www.tungstenautomation.com/.

Tungsten direct vendor support number is 877-489-6135 for VA agreements. The VA-FSC pays all associated transaction fees for VA orders. During Implementation (technical set-up) Tungsten will confirm your Taxpayer ID Number with the VA-FSC. This process can take up to 5 business days to complete to ensure your invoice is automatically routed to your Certifying Official for approval and payment. In order to successfully submit an invoice to VA-FSC please review “How to Create an Invoice” within the how to guides. All invoices submitted through Tungsten to the VA-FSC should mirror your current submission of Invoice, with the following items required. Clarification of additional requirements should be confirmed with your Certifying Official (your CO or buyer). The VA-FSC requires specific information in compliance with the Prompt Pay Act and Business Requirements. For additional information, please contact:

Tungsten Support:

Phone: 1-877-489-6135 Website: https://www.tungstenautomation.com/

Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Service Center:

Phone: 1-877-353-9791

Email: vafscched@va.gov

4. Payments in full/no billing VA beneficiaries: The Contractor shall accept payment for services rendered under this agreement as payment in full. VA beneficiaries shall not under any circumstances be charged nor their insurance companies charged for services rendered by the Contractor, even if VA does not pay for those services. This provision shall survive the termination or ending of the agreement.

(End of Performance Work Statement) https://www.tungstenautomation.com/ https://www.tungstenautomation.com/ mailto:vafscched@va.gov

B.1 IT CONTRACT SECURITY

VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY

1. GENERAL

Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security.

2. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS

a. A contractor/subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order.

b. All contractors, subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures.

c. Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a Memorandum of Agreement with Defense Security Service (DSS). Verification of a Security Clearance must be processed through the Special Security Officer located in the Planning and National Security Service within the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness.

d. Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the U.S. to the maximum extent practical. If such services are proposed to be performed abroad and are not disallowed by other VA policy or mandates, the contractor/subcontractor must state where all non-U.S. services are provided and detail a security plan, deemed to be acceptable by VA, specifically to address mitigation of the resulting problems of communication, control, data protection, and so forth. Location within the U.S. may be an evaluation factor.

e. The contractor or subcontractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor's employ. The Contracting Officer must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination.

3. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE

a. Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1).

b. VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the contractors/subcontractor's information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the contractor must ensure that VA's information is returned to the VA or destroyed in accordance with VA's sanitization requirements.

VA reserves the right to conduct on site inspections of contractor and subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements.

c. Prior to termination or completion of this contract, contractor/ subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/ created by the contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor/subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the contract.

d. The contractor/subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies become applicable to the VA information or information systems after execution of the contract, or if NIST issues or updates applicable FIPS or Special Publications (SP) after execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract.

e. The contractor/subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information except as authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on contractor/subcontractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the contractor/subcontractor needs to be restored to an operating state. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed.

f. If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition…