36C26121Q0542.docx

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES (continued) Contract Opportunity Sources Sought Notice

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Required Field Contract Opportunity Sources Sought Notice Q517 Urgent and Emergent Prescriptions 95652-2609 36C26121Q0542 04-22-2021

11:59 PM

PACIFIC TIME, LOS ANGELES, USA

N 446110 Department of Veterans Affairs VA Sierra Pacific Network (VISN 21) VA Northern California HealthCare System 5342 Dudley Blvd, Bldg 209 McClellan CA 95652-2609 Latasha Winston latasha.winston@va.gov ** See Statement of Work ** latasha.winston@va.gov Department of Veteran Affairs This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY.

The purpose of this Sources Sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes.

The Government is not obligated to nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award of a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach.

Any inquiries are to be made in writing by email to the point of contact, Latasha Winston Contract Specialist.

Responses to this notice shall be sent by email to latasha.winston@va.gov by the due date and time of 04-22-2021 by 11:59 P.M. PST.

Description:

Contractors shall provide pharmacy benefit management services to veteran beneficiaries with urgent or emergent medications when authorized by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pacific Islands Health Care System (PIHCS). Services will be required for VAPIHCS clinics throughout the State of Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, and American Samoa. Counties are Honolulu (island of Oahu), Hawaii (Big Island), Maui (islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai) and Kauai (island of Kauai). PIHCS main clinic is located on the island of Oahu. Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) are located in Leeward Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii (Big Island), Guam and American Samoa. Outreach Clinics are located on Lanai, Molokai, and Saipan. To provide pharmacy benefit management services to Veteran Beneficiaries as required by the Department of Veterans Affairs Pacific Island Health Care System (VA PIHCS), Honolulu, Hawaii, for the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics to provide Veterans with Urgent or Emergent Medications when the VA Pharmacy is closed or cannot provide the medication in time.

Period of performance: TBD The Government requests capability statements and comments from interested businesses regarding the requirements described above. Responsible sources are encouraged to submit a response to this notice with a statement of interest on company letterhead. At a minimum, the following information shall be provided:

• Company Name;

• Company Mailing Address;

• Point(s) of Contact including telephone number(s) & email address(es);

• Pricing (listed in B.2)

• Socio-Economic (i.e. Small/Large Business, HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned, 8(a), etc.) as it relates to NAICS Code 561320

• DUNS Number

• Additional information and/or comments.

B.2 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

Ordering Period One: October 01, 2021 through September 30, 2022

Ordering Period Two: October 01, 2022 through September 30, 2023

Ordering Period Three: October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024

Ordering Period Four: October 01, 2024 through September 30, 2025

Ordering Period Five: October 01, 2025 through September 30, 2026

B.3 Statement of Work

Providing Urgent or Emergent VA Authorized Prescriptions to Veterans Statement of Work

1. General Procedure:

a. Provide pharmacy benefit management services to veteran beneficiaries with urgent or emergent medications when authorized by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pacific Islands Health Care System (PIHCS). Services will be required for VA PIHCS clinics throughout the State of Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, and American Samoa. Counties are Honolulu (island of Oahu), Hawaii (Big Island), Maui (islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai) and Kauai (island of Kauai). PIHCS main clinic is located on the island of Oahu. Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) are located in Leeward Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii (Big Island), Guam and American Samoa. Outreach Clinics are located on Lanai, Molokai, and Saipan. To provide pharmacy benefit management services to Veteran Beneficiaries as required by the Department of Veterans Affairs Pacific Island Health Care System (VA PIHCS), Honolulu, Hawaii, for the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics to provide Veterans with Urgent or Emergent Medications when the VA Pharmacy is closed or cannot provide the medication in time.

2. SPECIFICATIONS: First time or emergency medication shall include, but not limited to the following:

a. All prescriptions filled shall be written on VA prescription blanks (VA Form 10-2577F) only and in accordance with VA policy and procedures as well as applicable state and federal regulations. Other prescription blanks can be authorized in writing by the VA Contracting Officer or VA Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

b. Prescriptions filled and dispensed will be limited to medications of emergent/urgent need as determined by VA clinical staff and will follow safe and effective formulary management principles practiced within the VA. VA Formulary is available at https://www.pbm.va.gov/nationalformulary.asp. Emergent and urgent are defined as medication(s) is needed in 24 hours and has the potential to result in serious harm to the patient if not administered.

i. Non-formulary and “non-emergent” medications (i.e. Viagra, other medications or any expendable stock /supply items [non-drug products], cosmetics, over-the counter medications, nutritional supplements, vitamins or herbal supplements) as identified by not being on the provided VA Formulary are not to be dispensed by the pharmacy without prior authorization.

ii. In order for a non-formulary medication to be dispensed, CBOC provider will call VA COR (or designee) for prior approval. VA COR (or designee) will then call Contractor Designee to have a prior authorization input into the system, allowing the medication to be dispensed for the veteran.

iii. The VA formulary will be updated as necessary and provided to the Contractor Designee. VA will provide drug name, strength and form(s) for each drug to be added along with the representative NDC number.

iv. Per 49CFR, certain medications are classified as hazardous and thus are regulated in transportation including by air. Therefore, these medications must be provided under the VA approved contract pharmacy in situations where there are no substitutable medication(s) available. Certificates specific to these hazardous medications will be issued to the patient after being seen by the VA authorized community provider that will allow a 30-day supply to be filled at contracted community pharmacies. Refills will be allowed for these specific hazardous medications. Both VA authorized community providers and these hazardous medications will remain non-formulary thus requiring approval from the VA COR (or designee).

c. Medications shall be dispensed with a maximum 10-day supply (unless repackaging is not an option example: of insulin, oral inhalers, etc.), unless authorization has been given.

i. Antibiotic prescriptions that need to be dispensed in 14-day supply may be authorized by the physician.

d. Medications shall be dispensed in the generic form unless otherwise stipulated by the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System Pharmacy Service. A product is not considered a generic equivalent unless specified in the FDA Orange Book; Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations. The generic name must be indicated on the drug label for all medications.

e. Medications shall be dispensed in appropriate vessels, consistent with federal and state guidelines.

f. No refills of prescriptions will be authorized, unless authorization has been given. The contractor shall fill ONLY NEW PRESCRIPTIONS normally; unless a prior authorization has been given to the specific medication prescription that cannot be mailed by the VAPIHCS Pharmacy (i.e., hazardous drugs). A new prescription is defined as a written prescription for a drug product and strength that has been written as a new prescription by the provider and has a new, unique prescription number.

g. NO PRESCRIPTIONS WILL BE MAILED.

h. VA reserves the right to add or delete areas of services based on patient demand. Changes in service areas shall be addressed in a written bilateral modification to this contract issued by the Contracting Officer

i. All patients shall be offered counseling from a Pharmacist for each prescription filled. Counseling offered shall be consistent with the Hawaii State Board of Pharmacy requirements to ensure appropriate use and optimal outcomes from drug therapy. The counseling shall include, but is not limited to:

i. Name, description and use of medication

ii. Dose, dosage, form, and route

iii. Special directions and precautions

iv. Common side effects and action required if side effects occur

v. Techniques for self-monitoring drug therapy

vi. Action to be taken if a dose is missed

vii. Proper storage

viii. What the patient can expect from the medication

ix. The balance of the patient’s prescribed medication shall be mailed from the VA Pharmacy

j. Contractor as well as Pharmacy Services covered by this contract shall be provided to veterans, Monday through Friday, from at least 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Hawaii Standard Time.

k. The contractor shall provide Pharmacies/Pharmacists who shall be (but not limited to):

i. Located and Registered in the State of Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, and American Samoa as they are available.

ii. Collects, synthesize, and interprets patient prescription, and disease data

iii. Checks for factual and potential drug related problems, including (but not limited to):

1. therapeutic duplication

2. drug-disease contraindications

3. drug-drug interactions (including interactions with over the counter drugs)

4. incorrect drug dosage

5. drug-allergy interactions

iv. Identify, clarify, and resolve drug related problems with the prescriber and patient.

v. Be available to answer any drug related questions that a patient may have after the prescription is filled.

vi. Treat all patients with dignity, courtesy and respect.

l. Waiting times for prescription dispensing shall be 30 minutes on average but shall not exceed two hours.

m. The contractor cannot store patient information on a mobile device and shall not transfer Personnel Health Information (PHI) by fax or email to and/or from a VA Medical Facility unless approved by VA CO and meets VA Handbook 6500.6.

3. TELEPHONE ORDERS (CRITICAL PATIENT SAFETY REQUIREMENT):

a. In the event of a circumstance that requires a telephone order to be taken, the Pharmacist taking the order shall Repeat the Order (also known as Read Back) to the prescriber and assure their concurrence with the repeated order. Any and all changes or clarifications to a prescription order which require communication with the patient’s provider shall be confirmed by REPEATING THE ORDER, the change or clarification to assure accuracy.

4. MONTHLY VOLUME AND PRICING

Total Estimated Yearly Volume: 6,300 prescriptions.

Estimate a few prescriptions will be filled on Oahu. Estimate majority will be filled on the “outer” islands of Hawaii (Big Island), Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai.

Prices will be as follows for each prescription: Prescription Ingredient costs + Prescription Dispensing Fee.

Estimated Cost for yearly contract: 6,300 prescriptions

5. PIHCS CLINIC LOCATIONS AND HOLIDAYS:

a. Main Clinic: 459 Patterson Road, Honolulu, HI 96819

b. Leeward Oahu CBOC: 91-2135 Fort Weaver Road, Ewa Beach, HI 96706

c. Hilo CBOC: 45 Mohouli Street, Hilo, HI 96720

d. Kona CBOC: 75-377 Hualalai Road, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

e. Maui CBOC: 203 Ho’ohana Street, Suite 303, Kahului, HI 96732

f. Molokai Outreach Clinic: 280 Home Olu Place, Kaunakakai, HI 96748

g. Lanai Outreach Clinic: 628-B Seventh Street, Lanai City, HI 96763

h. Kauai CBOC: 4485 Pahe’e Street, Suite 150, Lihue, HI 96766

i. Guam CBOC: 498 Chalan Palayso, Agana Heights, Guam 96910

j. American Samoa CBOC: Fiatele Teo Army Reserve Bldg, Pago Pago, AS 96799

k. American Samoa Mail Box: PO Box 1005, Pago Pago AS 96799

l. Saipan CBOC: Medical Associates of the Pacific, LLC, MH-II Bldg, Suite 100, Marina Heights Business Park, P.O. Box 500938, Saipan, MP 96950

Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) establishes the following public holidays for Federal employees. Please note that most Federal employees work on a Monday through Friday schedule. For these employees, when a holiday falls on a non-workday -- Saturday or Sunday -- the holiday usually is observed on Monday (if the holiday falls on Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on Saturday).

VA PIHCS clinics are closed on Federal holidays. Current public holidays for Federal employees are: New Year’s Day, Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and any day specifically declared by the President of the United States of America.

Calendar dates for Federal holidays are available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2020

6. VA PIHCS CLINIC HOURS, CONTRACTOR PHARMACY HOURS AND LOCATIONS (RADIUS REQUIREMENT):*VA PIHCS clinic hours are Monday through Saturday, 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM Hawaii Standard Time.

Guam, Saipan, American Samoa are Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM local time.

Contractor pharmacies should be open during weekday hours and include some evening and weekend hours. The contractor shall provide at least one pharmacy location within a five (5) mile radius of each VAPIHCS clinic listed above. The contractor shall provide the name, street address, city, zip code, telephone and fax number of each pharmacy. VA PIHCS shall approve the use of at least one pharmacy per VA clinic.

7. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

a. Contractor shall provide a monthly summary (for each contracted Pharmacy or CBOC) to the VA Pharmacy Service detailing the following information for services provided:

i. Patient Name/ID

ii. Medication Name and Strength

iii. Quantity Dispensed

iv. Brand or Generic

v. NDC (National Data Code)

vi. Prescription Number

vii. Prescription Drug Costs

viii. Administrative Costs

ix. Prescriber Name

x. Day Supply

b. A copy of the monthly invoice are to be sent to: VA Pharmacy*459 Patterson Road*Honolulu, Hawaii 96819*by the 10th day in the following month. Invoices must include date dispensed, patient's name, patient’s last four of SSN, provider name, drug, Rx number, strength, quantity, and total charge.

c. The contractor shall provide for quality control/performance improvement purposes the following information:

i. All medication errors and medication related incidents will be recorded and investigated and reported to the VA COR on a quarterly basis. Medication errors or events that result in required hospitalization, clinical intervention or significant negative events will be reported to the VA COR immediately.

ii. Customer complaints/suggestions/compliments shall be recorded and reported to the VA COR on a quarterly basis (or more frequently if a significant problem occurs).

8. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

Services required under this contract shall be performed in accordance with the following:

a. Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa Board of Pharmacy, State & Federal laws

b. Code of Federal regulations, Title 21

c. United States Code, Title 21

9. CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY

Contractor shall ensure the confidentiality and security of all patient information and shall be held liable in the event of breach of confidentiality. The Contractor shall comply with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC 522a), Confidentiality of Drug Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Sickle Cell Anemia and HIV/AIDs Treatment Records (38 USC 7332) and Confidentiality of Medical Quality Assurance Records (38 USC 5705). The Contractor shall comply with all pertaining confidentiality and security statutes. Contractor shall be HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant. Failure to comply with statutes regarding confidentiality and security of patient health information/Individually identifiable information may result in financial sanctions.