Secure Printing of Controlled Substance Prescription Pads

The Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) is seeking a vendor to provide secure printing services for Controlled Substance Schedule II (CII) prescription pads through RFP 515-25-0003. The procurement requires producing and distributing specialized prescription forms with extensive security features, including blue overlay void features, thermochromic ink, watermarks, and bar codes. Vendors must have the capability to generate approximately 850 prescription pads monthly, with production and distribution timelines mandating completion within three business days of order receipt and emergency orders fulfilled within 24 hours. Proposal evaluation will occur on a 100-point scale, with 90% of points allocated to technical factors such as sample quality, loss recovery procedures, and plant security, and 10% dedicated to pricing. Responses are due by March 31, 2025, at 4:00 PM CT through the TSBP's Bonfire procurement portal, with an anticipated contract award date of June 30, 2025. The initial contract term is one year, beginning September 1, 2025, with potential for four optional one-year renewals, and price increases limited to 7% per renewal period.

The procurement includes a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) subcontracting goal of 26.0% for the contract, with vendors required to complete a comprehensive HUB Subcontracting Plan demonstrating good faith efforts to engage minority-owned businesses. Vendors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including workers' compensation, commercial general liability, and privacy/network security insurance with specified minimum limits. The contract will be funded through fees collected from prescribers via the Texas.gov online application managed by the Department of Information Resources. Pricing must be submitted as firm fixed prices inclusive of all service-related costs. Vendors will need to demonstrate robust security protocols, the ability to produce highly specialized prescription documents, and compliance with strict state regulations governing controlled substance prescription manufacturing. While no incumbent vendor is specified in the documents, the procurement suggests a sophisticated, security-focused printing service with significant technological and regulatory compliance requirements.