Sources Sought Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances

The Department of State Office of Acquisition Management is issuing a Request for Information on electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) solutions, with responses due by May 8, 2026. This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or promise of future procurement.

The Department seeks solutions that enhance patient safety, streamline provider workflows, and comply with federal and state regulations while integrating with the Department's existing electronic medical system. Required capabilities include standard electronic prescribing functionality—prescription creation, modification, renewal, cancellation, and transmission to U.S. pharmacies—alongside medication history and interaction checking, formulary and benefit access, and comprehensive medication list reconciliation. For EPCS specifically, solutions must comply with DEA and state regulations, implement two-factor authentication and identity proofing, maintain secure audit trails, and include integrated Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) queries with automated checks and recent fill history display.

The solution must integrate using industry-standard protocols (HL7, FHIR, APIs), support single sign-on and user role management, enable real-time data exchange, and maintain HIPAA and HITECH compliance with robust encryption and comprehensive audit logging. Clinical decision support capabilities must include real-time drug interaction checking, dose range validation, and mobile and remote prescribing capability. Reporting dashboards for prescribing activity and antimicrobial stewardship are also required. Respondents should submit responses in PDF format to contracting officer Alicia Hofhine at HofhineAK@state.gov. The Department will not reimburse response preparation costs.