RFI Automated Pharmacy Prescription Dispensing Kiosks.docx

Request for Information (RFI) Automated Pharmacy Prescription Dispensing Kiosks – Department of Veterans Affairs TAC RFI Number: 36C10B26Q0129 Purpose:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking industry feedback to inform planning, acquisition strategy, and solution design for a secure, automated, pharmacy prescription dispensing kiosk that enables Veterans to receive medications prescribed by a licensed provider through a pharmacist-verified dispensing workflow to improve timely access to medications while maintaining full regulatory compliance and patient safety. This Request for Information (RFI) seeks responses from Vendors interested in supporting an initial pilot implementation, with the potential to expand to a full-scale deployment, and demonstrating the ability to deliver a unified solution that supports ongoing operations, maintenance, and enterprise-wide adoption of the product.

This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. In accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.101(c), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain market information on capable sources of supply, industry practices, and input specific to the information provided. The Government is not responsible for any cost incurred by industry in furnishing this information. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future Request for Proposals, if any is issued. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Any proprietary/sensitive information must be clearly marked by the vendor.

Background:

VA pharmacies are a key resource for Veterans, family members, caregivers, and survivors, and are often required to support overall Veteran care. The VA currently delivers pharmacy services through a combination of medical center pharmacies, outpatient clinics, mail order fulfilment, and community partners (i.e. Community Care Networks).

To improve timely access to medications and enhance the Veteran experience, the VA plans to pilot and deploy automated pharmacy prescription dispensing kiosk(s) as part of a more unified and modernized pharmacy service delivery model. This effort seeks to expand secure, pharmacist-verified dispensing capabilities in strategic locations (to be determined), leveraging standardized technology workflows, and inventory management practices. The goal is to improve convenience and continuity of care through the automated system, reduce wait times and operational burden, support secure after-hours access in centralized locations including rural communities, and deliver safe, accurate, and consistent pharmacy services for Veterans.

Performance Objectives:

Improve Veteran Access to Medications Enable timely, convenient access to specific non-controlled, non-hazardous prescriptions that a patient may need to start right away, such as antibiotics or urgent short-term treatments, all available through a kiosk.

· Potential to support a feature that allows Veterans access to a pharmacist in real time.

· Vendor must have a plan for potential positioning of their solution outdoors and potentially separate from the point of care provided (state laws do not prohibit such positioning) to enable 24/7 access by Veterans.

· Solution must have the capability to integrate (via Application Programming Interface) with VA’s Federal Electronic Health Record (Oracle Health) and existing Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) electronic health record system.

· Vendor must provide 24-hour support to resolve information technology issues.

Support Verified Provider Prescriptions

· Accept and process prescriptions from any licensed and authorized prescriber for all Veterans verified within VA systems.

· Ensure all prescriptions undergo appropriate pharmacist review and verification prior to dispensing.

Ensure Patient Safety, Accuracy, and Authentication

· Maintain a high standard of dispensing accuracy.

· Provide pharmacist oversight to ensure appropriate dosage of medications are stocked within the automated system.

· Ensure proper replenishment of medications is available and completed promptly.

· Verify patient identity using secure, reliable authentication methods to ensure medications are dispensed only to authorized recipients.

Maintain Regulatory and Policy Compliance

· Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local pharmacy laws, VA policies, and cybersecurity and privacy requirements, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and VA information security standards.

Support Data Visibility and Reporting

· Provide accurate and timely reporting on utilization, inventory, and system uptime.

Support Organizational Change Management

· Assist with communication, training, and deployment planning across the VA network.

· Help advertise the existence among local Veteran populations.

Requested Information:

Vendors are encouraged to provide the following:

1. A brief capability statement, including relevant experience. Please do not include generic marketing materials.

· Footprint of the device.

· Specific requirements for operation (power, connectivity, etc.).

2. Recommended approach to achieving full scalability VA-wide utilizing the above objectives, including:

· Operational Plan detailing a unified enterprise-ready solution.

· Proposed approach to adhere to varying state mandates and approach to obtain waivers, if necessary.

· Proposed approach to integrating solution with VA’s Federal Electronic Health Record (Oracle Health solution) and VistA electronic health record system.

· Proposed approach for monitoring and maintenance to include software updates and mechanical repair.

3. Examples of automated pharmacy prescription or other medical dispensing kiosk deployment.

4. Proposed approach to providing remote pharmacist access.

5. Describe system operations and maintenance, to include:

· Overall inventory capacity as well as inventory at the unit-dose and bottle level, including real time counts.

· Describe how the system manages lot numbers, expiration dates, and recalls.

6. Proposed approach to maintaining appropriate inventory.

7. Proposed approach to Veteran verification, to include:

· Describe security controls to prevent unauthorized access, theft, or removal of medication without a verified prescription.

8. Key risks and mitigations VA should consider

9. High-level cost and schedule considerations

10. Innovative ideas or technologies VA should explore

11. Other considerations the VA should consider regarding implementation of a pilot program to full scale deployment.

Submittal Information:

This is a RFI only. It is requested that all companies interested in participating in this effort note their interest and provide an indication of their respective capabilities to perform the effort described above. Marketing material will not be accepted as an indication of capability. The vendor must display that their solution is tested and has been successfully implemented in a healthcare setting. Only responses related to the Government’s requirements as listed above will be considered.

Provide the following information on the first page/slide of the submission:

· Name of Company

· Address

· Point(s) of Contact

· Phone Number(s)

· Fax Number

· Email addresses

· Company Business Size and Status

· NAICS code(s) – If applicable, identify your company’s Small Business size status based upon the applicable NAICS code of 541512. For more information refer to http://www.sba.gov/.

· Socioeconomic data

· Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number

The vendor shall submit their response no later than February 2, 2026 at 12 PM ET. Submissions should not exceed 15 pages. Questions shall be submitted no later than January 21, 2026 5 PM ET. Responses and questions are to be sent via email to Andrea Caltabilota at Andrea.Caltabilota@va.gov, Nicole Bestreski at Nicole.Bestreski@va.gov, and Robert Kirzow at Robert.Kirzow@va.gov. Please include " Automated Pharmacy Prescription Dispensing Kiosks " in the subject line of your response. Mark your response as "Proprietary Information" if the information is considered business sensitive.

NO MARKETING MATERIALS ARE ALLOWED AS PART OF THIS RFI.

The Government will only review what is being requested under the “Submittal Information” section of this RFI. The Government will not review any other information or attachments included that exceed this limit.

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.101(c)(2), 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 RFI.