Wolters Kluwer Update subscription services

This is not a request for proposal. This is a notice of the Government’s intent to issue a sole source award contract to:

Wolters Kluwer/Update subscription services Pre-Solicitation Notice

Purpose

This is a non-personal service contract to provide subscriptions to obtain drug information, data analysis, and drug-pricing extracts for OWCP.  OWCP is seeking specific subscriptions manufactured and available from a sole responsible source. 

Background

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), National Office has a need for subscriptions to access PriceRX Pro, Lexi-comp Online, and Medi-Span Medi-File V2 from the Wolters Kluwer’s website.  The OWCP Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) vendor cannot share details of its processing because OWCP has no license with Wolters Kluwer to receive proprietary information.  OWCP must have its own subscriptions in order to receive this data and effectively manage the PBM vendor’s activities.

Objective

The purpose of these subscriptions is to obtain drug information, data analysis, and drug-pricing extracts so that OWCP can analyze pharmaceutical claims processed through the OWCP Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) system. 

Scope

The contractor shall provide access to PriceRX Pro, Lexi-comp Online, and Medi-Span Medi-File V2 from the Wolters Kluwer’s website to obtain drug information, data analysis, and drug-pricing extracts.

Lexi-comp Online is a drug information compendia that provides clear, concise, point-of-care drug information, including dosing, administration, warnings and precautions, drug interactions, and off-label uses through drug monographs in an easily assessable format.  Lexi-comp Online’s Lexi-drugs database has been recognized as an authoritative compendia by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Medi-Span Med-File V2 is the foundational drug file that provides a codified drug dictionary, drug vocabulary, and drug pricing for prescriptions drugs and over-the-counter drugs in the United States. Medi-Span Med-File V2 contains detailed active and inactive ingredient level data and provides unit and package pricing for multiple drug price types, including; Average Wholesale Price (AWP), Wholesale Acquisition Price (WAC), Direct Price (DP), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Federal Upper Limit (CMS FUL) and the Generic Equivalent Average Price (GEAP).  The data must also include a table with the historical price of National Drug Codes (NDCs) that have gone off the market; these NDCs are not included in the MF2PRC table. The MF2PRC table is name of a data file package delivered monthly by MEDSPAN that contains pricing.

PriceRX is a web-based drug pricing reference and analytical application intended to provide market intelligence on drug products, costs, and therapeutic alternatives.  PriceRX Pro has search, alerts, and reporting capabilities, including searching by manufacturer, NDC, UPC, HRI, trade and generic name, and by GPI. Reports can be customized to accurately and effectively analyze drug cost information, and it can create email alerts to inform users of recent price and drug data changes.  Price RX Pro contains more than 400,000 products with active and inactive data.

Type of Contract

The Government anticipates awarding a Fixed Price contract.

Period of Performance

The total period of performance includes a one (1) 12-month base period and one (1) 12-month option period.

Hours of Operation

The vendor shall ensure access to its website for the required subscriptions within normal business hours in accordance with the vendor’s commercial services.   

Place of Performance

Access to the subscriptions shall be through the vendor’s website.

Contracting Officer Representative (COR)

The COR shall be identified by separate letter.  The COR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration.  The COR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract: perform the oversight necessary in connection with contract performance: maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract: issue written interpretations of technical requirements, monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies.  A letter of designation issued to the COR will be issued stating their responsibilities and limitations.  A copy will also be forwarded to the Contractor outlining those responsibilities and limitations, especially with regard to changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates.  The COR is NOT authorized to make changes to any of the terms and conditions of the resulting contract.  Changes shall only be made by the Contracting Officer.

Key Personnel

N/A

Contractor Travel:  

Travel is not anticipated

PART 2

DEFINITIONS & ACRONYMS

CONTRACTOR:  A supplier or vendor having a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the government.  The term used in this contract refers to the prime.

CONTRACTING OFFICER: A person with authority to enter into, administer and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the government.  Note: The only individual who can legally bind the government.

CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR):   An employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the contracting officer to administer the contract.  Such appointment shall be in writing and shall state the scope of authority and limitations.  This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the Contractor as long as that direction is within the scope of the contract, does not constitute a change, and has no funding implications.  This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract.

DEFECTIVE SERVICE:  A service output that does not meet the standard of performance associated with the Performance Work Statement.

DELIVERABLE:  Anything that can be physically delivered but may include non-physical things such as meeting minutes.

KEY PERSONNEL:  Contractor personnel that are evaluated in a source selection process and that may be required to be used in the performance of a contract by the Key Personnel listed in the PWS.  When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal.

ACRONYMS: 

CO                               Contracting Officer

COR                            Contracting Officer Representative

CST                             Certified Scrum Trainer

DOL                            Department of Labor

FAR                            Federal Acquisition Regulation         

ODC                            Other Direct Costs

OWCS                         Office of Workers’ Compensation System

OWCP                         Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs

POC                            Point of Contact

PWS                            Performance Work Statement

PART 3

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT, AND SERVICES

Not applicable

PART 4

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

The vendor shall ensure access to its website for the required subscriptions within normal business hours in accordance with the vendor’s commercial services.  

PART 5

SPECIFIC TASKS

The contractor shall provide access to PriceRX Pro, Lexi-comp Online, and Medi-Span Medi-File V2 from the Wolters Kluwer’s website to obtain drug information, data analysis, and drug-pricing extracts.