Pharmacy Consulting Services

San Mateo County is issuing a Request for Proposals for Pharmacy Consulting Services to support San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC), a public hospital and clinic system serving San Mateo County, California. The County seeks a consulting firm to provide three primary deliverables: review purchase history from wholesalers to identify instances where SMMC did not receive contracted rates, analyze purchases and recommend manufacturer or product substitutions to reduce costs, and evaluate purchase and formulary data to recommend therapeutic swaps that maintain clinical effectiveness while reducing expenses. The contract term is three and one-half years with no renewal options. Proposals will be evaluated on four criteria: project approach (30 points), firm qualifications (25 points), team qualifications (20 points), and price (25 points), for a total of 100 points. Proposers must demonstrate five years of similar services experience, legal authorization to conduct business in California, registration with SAM.gov, and appropriate insurance coverage including cyber liability. The deadline for submitting questions and comments is January 30, 2026, at 1:00 PM, and proposals are due February 13, 2026, at 1:00 PM; no pre-proposal conference or site visit is scheduled. Submissions must be made electronically through the eProcurement portal and include an introduction and executive summary, statement of minimum qualifications, project approach, proposed schedule, innovation references, performance measures, firm and team qualifications, references, and a separate fee proposal.

San Mateo County has established local business preferences for this procurement: five percent additional points for qualifying local entities, eight percent for Local Small Businesses or Small Non-Profits, and ten percent for Local Micro Businesses or Micro Non-Profits. The RFP does not specify pricing terms or maximum funding amounts. Selected contractors must comply with extensive compliance requirements, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Living Wage Ordinance (currently $17.00 per hour minimum with annual CPI-U adjustments capped at 3.5 percent), HIPAA Business Associate Agreement provisions for protected health information, the Corporate Compliance Code of Conduct prohibiting kickbacks and bribes, the Vendor/Contractor Access Policy governing facility and network access, and intellectual property ownership provisions assigning all work products to the County. Contractors must also carry general liability insurance of $1,000,000, motor vehicle liability insurance of $1,000,000, and professional liability insurance of $1,000,000. All work materials and documentation become County property upon contract termination or expiration, and the County reserves the right to withhold payment for unacceptable work quality or quantity.