Q517--VHA VISN 10 Outpatient Prescription Remote Processing

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Contract Opportunity

The purpose of this solicitation amendment is to answer questions from industry.
1: The solicitation states on page 42: Provide at least 3 past performance questionnaires for other similarly sized and relevant contracts or requirements that you have performed in the past 4 years. (Past performance questionnaire is located as an attachment to this solicitation.)
It also states on page 42: The past performance evaluation may be based on the contracting officer s knowledge of and previous experience with the supply or service being acquired; Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) at http://www.cpars.gov/; or any other reasonable basis past performance will be evaluated using CPARS.
We note that the PPQ is extensive and would require considerable time and effort from Government points of contact to complete within the solicitation timeline. For the Government s ease and to reduce administrative burden on agency personnel, would the Government allow offerors to submit final CPARS with all relevant ratings and narratives, together with contact references, in lieu of the PPQ form?
a. Final CPARS ratings would be sufficient as long as the offeror provides full contact information for the POC/COR for the requirement.
2: The solicitation requires at least 3 past performance questionnaires for other similarly sized and relevant contracts (p. 42). Could the Government clarify if there is a maximum number of past performance citations allowed?
a. We are looking for a minimum of 3, Maximum number has not been established.
3: The solicitation provides detailed instructions for administrative, technical, and past performance submissions (pages 41 43), but does not explicitly state any page limitations. Could the Government confirm whether there are any page limits for the technical narrative, past performance section, or other volumes?
a. There are no page limits or any other limits for the other documentation requested in this solicitation. The Government requests that all offerors read and provide all items listed in the Quote Preparation Instructions section of the solicitation.
4: . Are there VA provided or leased computers for this contract?
a. Please see PWS Section 4.1 Section G and Section H
5: Is this remote work for prescription verification for pharmacist or typing prescriptions for pharmacy technicians are both? Which area is the need?
a. The requirement is for prescription verification and approvals being fulfilled by a licensed pharmacist Virtually. Complete information is located in the supplied PWS.
6: We would like to know if this is a brand new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services.
a. Totally new contract
7. Would the Government consider amending the solicitation to allow full and open competition?
a. Currently the set-aside is SDVOSB as defined in the Governments Market Research.
8. Would the Government consider extending the response date for proposals to give offerors adequate time to incorporate responses to bidder s questions and any related solicitation amendments?
a. Due to the Period of Performance starting in the middle of February the Government cannot extend this requirement.
9. Can the Government confirm our understanding of 4.1.1.b. that the nearest VA location does not have to be in VISN 10?
a. Correct, the nearest VA is not required to be in VISN 10 for fingerprinting and PIV cards. It can be to their nearest locality: https://www.osp.va.gov/Badge_Office_Locations.asp.
10. 4.1.1.b. indicates that the pharmacists must engage promptly with WMC to complete onboarding requirements. Can the Government clarify its expectation on completion time?
a. It will be the responsibility of the vendor to communicate the onboarding requirements to the virtual pharmacists that may be providing services on this contract. The communication between VISN 10 Pharmacy and the vendor should begin immediately following award of the contract. Onboarding and training requirements must be completed by the end of March 2026.
11. Will our pharmacists be performing any tasks in Vista? Will this be concurrent to tasks being performed in Oracle? Please provide more definition about how our service will support VISN 10 during the transition from Vista to Oracle.
a. No work will be performed in VistA.
12. Would the Government consider amending the solicitation to include minimum order quantities (or a minimum guaranteed value) under the resulting IDIQ contract?
a. No, the government has no minimum quantities at this time we only have a potential maximum quantity based upon current estimated quantities.
13. Will all ten VISN 10 medical centers begin using these services at the same time, or will the VA follow a phased rollout? Also, can the Government confirm the expected start date for performance?
a. At this time it is unknown if all 11 medical centers will use these services at all and/or when.
14. Credentialing Locations Can pharmacists complete background checks, fingerprinting, and PIV/ID card processing at VA facilities designated by VA based on availability, or will a specific facility/location be required for credentialing activities?
a. PIV card processing, fingerprinting, and background check is not part of the credentialing process and would only need to be completed once, likely at the closest VA facility. Credentialling will need to be completed at each facility the provider will be working at and can be performed virtually.
15. Order Workflow and Scope of Work Will prescriptions generally be entered and pre-processed by VA pharmacy technicians or pharmacists prior to reaching the remote verification queue, or will contracted remote pharmacists receive prescriptions directly from prescribers?
a. Prescriptions will be received directly from the provider, they will not be pre-processed, in a specific contractor queue, and will require review by the virtual pharmacist prior to performing clinical order verification. There should be no order entry needed.
16. Please confirm whether the contractor s role is limited to clinical order verification or if order entry is also within scope.
a. Prescriptions will be received directly from the provider, they will not be pre-processed, in a specific contractor queue, and will require review by the virtual pharmacist prior to performing clinical order verification. There should be no order entry needed.
17. System Adjudication Responsibility Will prescriptions be adjudicated and cleared within VA systems prior to contractor verification, or will contractor pharmacists be responsible for adjudication activities (e.g., insurance type or other system rejections)?
a. Prescriptions will be received directly from the provider, they will not be pre-processed, in a specific contractor queue, and will require review by the virtual pharmacist prior to performing clinical order verification as noted in the PWS. There should be no order entry needed.
18. Formulary Management Will formulary screening and conversions typically occur prior to prescriptions entering the contractor queue, or will contractor pharmacists be responsible for identifying and managing formulary issues in accordance with VA procedures?
a. As previously noted, there will not be a separate queue for prescriptions to be processed by the contractor. As noted in the performance work statement, the
contractor is to skip any pending outpatient prescription orders for controlled substances, Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs), and non-formulary medications that are pending approval/denial. The pharmacist is to ensure the prescriptions they process are on the VA National Formulary as a formulary item outside of the previous exclusion criteria.
19. Clarification Volume (Planning Purposes) While understanding that volumes are not guaranteed, does VA have historical or indicative ranges for the percentage of prescriptions that typically require clarification prior to final verification, to assist with staffing and workflow planning?
a. No, varies
20. Clarification Process Ownership Will contracted remote pharmacists initiate and document clarification requests within VA systems, with final resolution handled by on-site VA pharmacists or providers, or is a different clarification workflow anticipated?
a. Per the performance work statement, the contractor pharmacist shall clarify with the appropriate party prior to processing any pending outpatient prescription orders not meeting standards for completeness, restrictions, lacking clinical information and those requiring consults. Complete and input all transcription notes/documentation directly into the Federal EHR.
21. Hours of Coverage Please confirm whether coverage hours under this contract will be defined at the task order level based on operational need, and whether this contract requires continuous 24/7/365 coverage or task-order-driven coverage windows.
a. This would be defined in the task order. The cost would be per prescription regardless of time the prescription is processed
22. After-Hours and Weekend Work Is after-hours or weekend work permitted, when authorized, to address backlog reduction or surge volume, or is contractor work restricted to defined coverage windows specified in individual task orders?
a. Contractor work would be specifically defined per task order. The VISN will pay per prescription processed, unless specifically documented, it does not need to be completed during a specific time period. However, if contractor chooses to complete work after-hours or on the weekend, the cost per prescription should not increase.
23. Surge Definition and Communication How will surge requirements be defined and communicated to the contractor (e.g., through task orders or written direction from the COR/CO), including expected scope and duration?
a. It is up to each facility to determine when/if to use this contract and the facility requirements will be communicated to the contractor via a task order ONLY from the Contracting Officer.

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