Q301--Notice of Intent to Sole Source Pharmacy Staff Training/Competency, Media fill and Glove Fingertip Services

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 16 has issued a Special Notice announcing its intent to award a sole source contract for pharmacy staff training and competency services. The National Contracting Office No. 16 plans to negotiate a five-year, firm-fixed price contract with Life Scientific, Inc. dba Aseptic Enclosures, a small business located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The contract will provide specialized services to the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, including viable fingertip sampling services, media-fill testing services, staff competency evaluation and training services, and associated reporting. The VA has determined that Life Scientific is the only firm capable of fulfilling all requirements, particularly for personnel training and competency assessment for sterile compounding. This procurement falls under NAICS code 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services) and PSC code Q301 (Reference Laboratory Testing).

The primary objective of this sole source contract is to ensure compliance with USP standards for sterile compounding through comprehensive training and testing of 25 pharmacy personnel at the VA medical center. The contractor will conduct semi-annual viable fingertip sampling and Category 2 media-fill tests, provide training on aseptic techniques and hazardous drug handling, and submit detailed reports within 20 days of each testing session. Interested parties have until August 4, 2025, to submit responses, though the procurement is specifically targeted at Life Scientific due to their unique capabilities. Contractor personnel must hold current USP certifications in pharmaceutical compounding and hazardous drug handling and are subject to VA background checks. The services will be performed on-site at the medical center with testing conducted in April and October, and training sessions requiring an 80% minimum passing grade on didactic tests. The anticipated contract award date is August 15, 2025, with services available Monday through Friday from 0600 to 2200, with potential weekend flexibility.