SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT / REQUEST FOR INFORMATION OPEN MARKET PHARMACEUTICALS INDUSTRY DAYS THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP), BUT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN INDUSTRY DAYS EVENT. The NCO15 CMOP Acquisitions, located in Leavenworth, Kansas, provides contracting support to the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP) program. The CMOP facilities, located throughout the nation, fill Veteran prescriptions. The NCO15 CMOP Acquisitions purchases pharmaceutical items that are not available by means of the Pharmacy Prime Vendor Program. We are interested in gathering feedback on acquisition strategies from small and large businesses related to a possible Open Market Pharmaceuticals contract vehicle(s). We plan to conduct a three-day Industry Days event in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e) as part of market research. The event will be held in Leavenworth, Kansas, and is currently being scheduled for April 26/27/28, 2016. The objective of the event is to obtain input from pharmaceutical provider industry representatives with expertise in and knowledge of the acquisition of open market pharmaceuticals. In addition, the event is to provide preliminary information on anticipated requirements, business/contract considerations and possible acquisition strategies. Further, each interested party will have the opportunity to express their technical, contractual and procedural concerns in regards to this potential acquisition. The Industry Days will also provide an opportunity for participants to discuss this potential acquisition in terms of industry practices. There is no commitment by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), SAO Central Region, NCO15 CMOP Acquisitions, to issue a solicitation, make an award, or to be responsible for any monies expended by interested parties in support of this event. The Department of Veterans Affairs is neither committed nor obligated to pay for information provided, and no basis for claims against the VA shall arise as a result of a response to this Special Announcement/Request for Information. ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS: The NCO15 CMOP Acquisitions and CMOP Leadership will conduct individual forty-five minute one-on-one meetings with potential contractors. Participants are encouraged to bring information relative to the acquisition of open market pharmaceuticals. The format will permit time for the participant, the CMOP Leadership and the NCO15 CMOP Acquisitions to provide information relevant to an Open Market Pharmaceutical requirement. If the potential contractor is interested in distributing information, they will be responsible for disposition of any items that are not utilized during the event. PRESENTATIONS: We welcome presentations; however, flash drives are not permitted and connection to the VA network is not allowable. A participant-owned laptop and aircard is acceptable. If a participant desires to have a presentation uploaded to a VA computer and made available during the face-to-face session, the electronic presentation is to be submitted to
[email protected]. Four (4) hard copies of the entire presentation are to be provided to the following address no later than April 19, 2016, at 2:00 CST. Department of Veterans Affairs NCO15 CMOP Acquisitions Industry Days Team 3450 S. 4th Street Trafficway Leavenworth, KS 66048 REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS: Registration will begin on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 and will end on or before Tuesday, April 19, 2016 by 2:00 p.m. (CST). The first 20 interested parties to register will receive confirmation of one-on-one sessions. If full capacity is reached prior to April 19, 2016, by 2:00 p.m. (CST), the registration will end. Registration will be handled on a first come, first served basis. Participants will not be permitted to register on the day of the event or be permitted to attend a session without a reservation. Reservations are not transferable. Requests to attend the Industry Days event must be completed via email to
[email protected] . The subject line should read: Reservation Request - NCO15 Open Market Pharmaceutical Industry Days. A request for reservation must include the organization/company name and address, phone number, number of attendees (limited to 4), names and titles of attendees, email addresses of attendees and your choice of date/time (either morning or afternoon) for a face-to-face session. Attempts will be made to accommodate the requested date/time but cannot be guaranteed as registrations will be handled on a first come, first served basis. Any changes to this information must be submitted prior to April 19, 2016, by 2:00 p.m. (CST). Please note, attendance/participation at the Industry Days is encouraged, but is not a prerequisite for participation in any solicitation that may eventually result for this requirement. Please do not attend without confirmation of a reservation. The reservation confirmation will only be provided from the above noted email address. Questions concerning this event should also be provided to this email address. The subject line should read: Question - NCO15 Open Market Pharmaceutical Industry Days. Below are samples of the agenda for the face-to-face sessions. This is subject to change. SAMPLE ITEMS THAT MAY BE DISCUSSED BY THE CMOP LEADERSHIP: 1. Drug Supply Chain Security Act and Pedigree Documents 2. National Drug Codes, Alternate National Drug Codes, Deviations 3. Therapeutic Equivalence 4. Shipment by USPS 5. Lot Numbers and Partial Orders 6. Packaging and Expiration Dates 7. Bar Coding 8. Inspection and Acceptance 9. Recalls 10. Representative Listing of Problematic Open Market Pharmaceuticals SAMPLE ITEMS THAT MAY BE DISCUSSED BY THE NCO15 CMOP ACQUISITIONS: 1. Acquisition Strategies 2. Challenges 3. Emergent Requirements 4. Timeliness - Just in Time Deliveries INFORMATION THAT MAY BE REQUESTED OF INTERESTED PARTICIPANTS 1. Commercial Practices That May Enhance the Acquisition of Open Market Pharmaceuticals 2. Pricing of Pharmaceuticals 3. Partial Shipments and Timely Deliveries 4. Best Practices for Providing Timely, Accurate Pharmaceuticals 5. Any Recommendations for Efficiencies or Effectiveness of the Acquisition Process Interested parties are required to respond to
[email protected] for additional information. The subject line of the email must include one of the items above (either "Reservation Request - NCO15 Open Market Pharmaceutical Industry Days" or "Question - NCO15 Open Market Pharmaceutical Industry Days" in order to receive prompt attention. Questions or Concerns with the email connection should be addressed to Sharon Torres (913) 684-0161 or Brenda Belveal (913) 684-0158.