R--SAVAHCS/NMVAHCS Pharmacy Business Management Services Note: Award amount reflects administrative fees only.

Page 6 of 6 This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. Responses to this sources sought must be in writing. The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the services described below. Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) company name (b) address (c) point of contact (d) phone, fax, and email (e) DUNS number (f) Cage Code (g) Tax ID Number (h) Type of small business, e.g. Services Disabled Veteran Owned small Business, Veteran-owned small business, 8(a), HUBZone, Women Owned Small Business, Small disadvantaged business, or Small Business HUBZone business and (i) must provide a capability statement that addresses the organizations qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below. Network Contract Office (NCO) 18 is seeking a potential, qualified vendor to provide Pharmacy Benefits Management Services, filling initial emergency supply of prescriptions and/or specialty compounded medications for VA patients being served at the Southern VA Healthcare System s main facility in Tucson, Arizona and its seven associated Community Outpatient Clinics. All prospective contractors must meet all requirements stated in the draft Statement of Work below. Statement of Work (draft) Pharmacy Benefits Management Services Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) and CBOCs Introduction and Background: The Department of Veterans Affairs- Veterans Health Administration has established community based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) that expand its capacity to provide outpatient primary care, especially for Veterans who had to travel long distances to receive care at VA facilities. A CBOC is a fixed health care site that is geographically distinct or separate from its parent VA Medical Center (VAMC). The CBOC s facilitate access to primary care close to where a Veteran resides. While caring for Veterans at a VAMC or CBOC, a clinician may prescribe medication that is not readily available. The clinician issues a prescription to the Veteran for an initial emergency supply of medication to be dispensed at a pharmacy in close proximity to the VAMC or CBOC. Scope: The Department of Veteran Affairs, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) in Tucson, AZ requires a Contractor to fill an initial emergency supply of prescriptions for VA patients seen at the Main Campus and associated CBOCs (Northwest Tucson, Southeast Tucson, Casa Grande, Sierra Vista, Green Valley, Safford and Yuma).. Contractor shall provide medication counseling by a Pharmacist consistent with Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) 1990. Requirements: The Contractor pharmacy will maintain all necessary licenses, certification, permits and other legal prerequisites necessary to provide service under this contract. The personnel assigned by the contractor to perform the services covered by this contract shall be licensed as a Registered Pharmacist in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or the District of Columbia. The contractor shall provide a Registered Pharmacist who will be expected to: Collect, synthesize and interpret patient, prescription and disease data Check for actual and potential medication related problems, including: Therapeutic duplication Drug-disease contradictions Drug-drug interactions (including interactions with over-the-counter drugs) Incorrect medication dosage Medication allergies or adverse reactions Identify, clarify and resolve medication related problems with prescriber and patient. Offer patients counseling by a Pharmacist consistent with Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) 1990 requirement to ensure appropriate use and optimal outcomes from medication therapy. The counseling shall include but not be limited to: Name, description and use of medication; Dose, dosage form and route; Special directions and precautions; Common side effects and action required if they occur; Techniques for self-monitoring drug therapy; Action to be taken if dosage is missed; Proper storage; What the patient can expect from the medication; Be available to answer any medication related questions that a Veteran may have after the prescription is filled. F. All Veterans shall be treated with dignity, courtesy and respect. The Contractor agrees that all information concerning VA beneficiaries shall be kept confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person, except when authorized in writing and according to applicable laws. The contracted pharmacy will maintain documentation for all prescriptions filled. Veterans will sign for each prescription received. All prescriptions must have proper auxiliary labels attached. All adverse drug events reported to a service provider by a Veteran beneficiary under this contract, will be reported to the Chief, Pharmacy Service or designee, SAVAHCS, Tucson, AZ. Adverse drug events include dispensing errors, drug allergies, and adverse drug reactions. For recalls, the Contractor is expected to follow a standard policy, as well as State and Federal regulations, for notification of affected patients. The Contractor will be fully responsible for this process. Patients will receive the filled prescription within two hours of authorization by a SAVAHCS pharmacist. The contractor must communicate with SAVAHCS via secure e-mail messaging. Contractor agrees to fulfill all requirements needed to establish and maintain secure email messaging and to comply with all HIPAA requirements concerning Veteran health information. Monthly reports will detail the CBOC community prescription fill activity. Reports will be site specific and detail the number of prescriptions filled and individual details of each prescription (medication name, strength, dosage form, quantity, day supply, and cost), and total dollar claims per CBOC site. Reports detailing classification of drugs spend analysis, and performance metrics will also be required monthly. These reports will be sent via encrypted electronic email to the Chief of Pharmacy (or designee) for review before monthly payment will occur. In the case of catastrophic emergencies, the contracted agency shall be able to provide an alternative service site and detail how this will be accomplished with proposal submission. In the event of a stand down, the contractor shall be able to set up a temporary location within seven days notice. Stand downs usually occur once per year; however in the event of a catastrophic event around any one of our CBOCs the vendor must have the capability to quickly set up prescription dispensing services at the nearest community pharmacies that can provide dispensing services. Contractor to provide multiple licensed pharmacies within a 25 mile radius of CBOCs and Medical Center. Constraints: All prescriptions require prior approval by a SAVAHCS pharmacist-see section D.4.7 for prior authorization procedure requirements. All prescriptions filled must be written on VA prescription blank (VA form 10-2577F), or other prescription tools that have been authorized in writing by the VA contracting officer. The successful offerors may obtain a sample of each VA Form from the COR. Filled prescriptions will not exceed the quantities authorized by the SAVAHCS pharmacist. No refills of prescriptions are authorized. The contractor shall fill ONLY NEW PRESCRIPTIONS. VA Chief of Pharmacy (or designee) can authorize refills under special conditions, i.e. after hurricane or other natural disasters. Prescriptions filled under this contract shall be generic drugs (when available), and to the extent permitted by law, the least expensive drug product the pharmacy has in stock will be dispensed. All generic products used must be in compliance with Federal and State requirements. A product is not considered a generic equivalent unless the strength, quantity and dosage are the same as the brand name. All generic drugs must be Federal Drug Administration (FDA) AB rated generics. NO PRESCRIPTIONS WILL BE MAILED. The price the Contractor charges the VA shall not exceed the price the Contractor charges the general public or the Contractor s lowest third-party reimbursement plan. THERE WILL BE NO CO-PAY the Veteran will not incur any charges from the contracted pharmacy. Prior Authorization Procedures: The contractor will support a prior authorization procedure which must be: Real time Electronic Secure Allow for multiple contacts Available 8AM to 6PM Arizona time Locations: VA Medical Center & CBOCs The pharmacy location for filling and dispensing of prescriptions must be within a 25 mile radius of the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) or Medical Center. Contractor must have a minimum of one licensed pharmacy in each of the areas identified for coverage. The location of each pharmacy filling and dispensing prescriptions under this contract shall be provided to the Contracting Officer. Information shall include the following: VA Medical Center: SAVAHCS 3601 S. 6th Ave., Tucson, AZ, 85723 CBOCs (current addresses / locations subject to change): Northwest CBOC- 2945 W. Ina Road, Tucson AZ 85741 Southeast CBOC- 7395 S. Houghton Road Ste. 129, Tucson AZ 85747 Casa Grande CBOC- 1876 E. Sabin Dr. Bldg. A, Casa Grande AZ 85222 Sierra Vista CBOC- 101 N. Coronado Drive Ste. A, Sierra Vista AZ 85635 Green Valley CBOC- 380 W. Vista Hermosa Drive #140, Green Valley AZ 85614 Safford CBOC- 355 N. 8th Avenue, Safford, AZ 85546 Yuma CBOC- 3111 S. 4th Avenue, Yuma AZ 85634 Invoice Administration: Copies of invoices are to be sent to the Chief of Pharmacy (or designee), Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System, via encrypted email. Invoices must include the date dispensed, prescription number, patient s full name, patient s full Social Security number, provider name, drug name, drug s National Drug Code number (NDC number), strength, quantity, day supply, drug ingredient cost, drug dispense fee, and total charge. The VA shall randomly audit invoice charges. Representatives of the VA are authorized to visit the premises of any pharmacy filling VA prescriptions under this contract for the purpose of auditing and evaluation, which may include the inspection of clinical records. Prescription records must be made available to the auditor in a timely manner at the location where dispensed. Service Hours: All services covered by the contract shall be furnished by the Contractor as required, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM Arizona time. Other information: Clinical or other medical records of VA beneficiaries treated by the contractor will remain the property of the VA. The parties agree that such personnel shall not be considered a VA employee for any purpose and shall be considered employees of the Contractor. Other medications that may be dispensed through the 1st fill program are Specialty Compounded medications dispensed through licensed compounding pharmacies. Specialty Compounded medications are defined as those that need to be manufactured and dispensed directly to the patient by a licensed compounding pharmacy. Charges to the VA shall include costs of ingredients, dispensing fees and any administrative fees associated with the compounding of the specialty medication. Specialty compounded medications are subject to the same prior authorization requirements as any other prescription. Payment: The VA agrees to reimburse the Contractor on a unit basis for resources furnished at the prices listed in the Schedule of Supplies\Services portion of this contract. Payment of sums due will be paid monthly upon submission (by the contractor) of a properly prepared invoice receipt and the appropriate VA office. The VA will review the records for agreement with the VA records and verify that the coverage provided for the month is in accordance with the contract. Payment will be authorized by the VA upon verification by the VA of the services bill. Billings rendered by the contractor to the VA for services furnished a VA beneficiary under the terms of this contract shall be billings in full. Neither the beneficiary, nor his/her insurer nor any other third party shall be billed. In the event the coverage is not provided in accordance with this contract, the payment to the contractor shall be reduced in direct ratio to the reduction in coverage. Any additional costs incurred by the VA as a result of obtaining coverage from a source other than the contractor, due to the contractor s failure to provide adequate coverage, will be assessed against the contractor. Recordkeeping: A record-keeping system of patient prescription orders will be established at SAVAHCS to demonstrate that services called for under the contract have been received by the VA beneficiary. Contract Security Contractor cannot store patient information on a mobile device. Contractor is prohibited from transferring Personnel Health Information (PHI) by fax or non-secure email. The C&A requirements do not apply, a Security Accreditation Package is not required. See section C.12 IT CONTRACT SECURITY for other security requirements. Quality Assurance Contractor Agrees to an ongoing Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. Vendor must be registered in Duns and Bradstreet, and in the System for Award Management at www.SAM.gov. Vendor will be required to provide a minimum of three references. Note: C&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required Important information: The Government is not obligated to nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. The VA is mandated by Public Law 109-461 to consider a total set-aside for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business set aside. However, if response by Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. No sub-contracting opportunity is anticipated. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 524292 ($38.5M). Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov and complete Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA). Additionally, all Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses or Veteran Owned Businesses who respond to a solicitation on this project must be registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprise VetBiz Registry located at http://vip.vetbiz.gov. All interested Offerors should submit information by e-mail, mail or ground carrier to: Southern AZ VA HealthCare System, 3601 S. 6th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85723 or by e-mail to contact@example.gov. All information submissions to be marked Attn: Michael Williams, Contracting Specialist (9-90C) and should be received no later than 3:30 pm Pacific Standard Time on May 17, 2017. After review of the responses to this announcement, the Government intends to proceed with the acquisition and a subsequent solicitation will be published.