Drug Monitoring

The Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) seeks sealed proposals for comprehensive drug and alcohol screening services through RFP 515-26-0002, with responses due by March 6, 2026, at 4:00 PM Central Time. The procurement targets a single vendor to establish and manage an ongoing drug monitoring program serving an estimated 50 healthcare professionals annually who are subject to TSBP Disciplinary Orders requiring random drug and alcohol screening. Respondents must deliver a complete drug monitoring program including 24/7 participant notification via toll-free phone, online platform, and mobile app; statewide collection sites within 30 miles of participant locations; comprehensive drug panel testing at specified cut-off levels for substances including amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine metabolites, opiates, cannabinoids, fentanyl, and other controlled substances; Medical Review Officer services; and detailed reporting to TSBP with specified timeframes for positive, negative, inadequate, and no-show results. Bidders must demonstrate a minimum of four years of experience managing drug and alcohol screening programs for healthcare professionals, obtain current state, federal, and industry certifications, maintain full HIPAA and HITECH Act compliance with required training, and carry specific insurance including $1,000,000 workers compensation, $1,000,000 commercial general liability per occurrence with $2,000,000 aggregate, and $3,000,000 privacy liability coverage. The preferred fee structure is not to exceed $76.00 per standard drug panel test, all-inclusive of split specimens, confirmatory testing, and collection fees, with participants bearing all financial responsibility. Evaluation criteria include experience (10 points), participant notification systems (10 points), TSBP notification systems (30 points), participant contact systems (5 points), collection sites (10 points), fees (20 points), and reporting capabilities (15 points), with references and vendor performance serving as pass/fail criteria. The initial contract term is one year from the September 1, 2026, effective date, with four optional one-year renewals at TSBP's discretion, and the expected award date is July 31, 2026.

All respondents, including Texas-certified Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs), must complete and submit a HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP) demonstrating good faith effort to subcontract with certified HUBs at a 7.5% goal level using either Method A (awarding all subcontracting work to HUBs or meeting the goal with identified HUB subcontractors) or Method B (notifying at least three certified HUBs and two trade organizations of opportunities and allowing seven working days for responses). Respondents who do not subcontract any portion of work must complete a self-performing justification. Prime contractors awarded the contract must notify selected subcontractors within ten working days and submit Prime Contractor Progress Assessment Reports to verify HSP compliance, with unauthorized modifications subject to enforcement remedies including debarment from state contracting. No incumbent vendors or existing contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. Submissions must be made through TSBP's online Bonfire procurement portal by authorized agents with valid signatures, with responses remaining valid for 30 days from the opening date and governed by Texas law with jurisdiction in Travis County. The contract value is contingent on actual demand but based on the preferred unit fee of $76.00 per test for an estimated 50 annual participants, the annual contract value would range approximately $3,800 to higher amounts depending on actual screening frequency and volume.