After Hour Medication Order Verification

SOPSCHK27004
After Hour Medication Order Verification
REQUEST FOR BID (RFB)
After Hour Medication Order Verification
SOPSCHK27004
Katelyn Meyers
1251 W Cedar Loop
Cherokee, IA 51012
Phone: (712) 225-6950
katelyn.meyers@hhs.iowa.gov
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RFB Purpose.
The purpose of this solicitation is to solicit bids from qualified service providers to provide remote
medication order verification services for the pharmacy at the Cherokee Mental Health Institute (CMHI)
and Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders (CCUSO) after Normal Business Hours, Holidays, and
Weekends.
Duration of Contract.
The Agency anticipates executing a contract that will have an initial 1-year contract term with the ability
to extend the contract for 5 additional 1-year terms. The Agency will have the sole discretion to extend
the contract.
Bidder Eligibility Requirements.
The Agency will only consider bids from pharmacists with an active license registered with the Iowa
Board of Pharmacy.
Procurement Timetable
There are no exceptions to any deadlines for the Bidder; however, the Agency reserves the right to
change the dates. Times provided are in Central Time.
Event Date
Agency Issues RFB Notice to Targeted Small Business Website (48 April 6, 2026
hours):
Agency Issues RFB to Bid Opportunities Website April 8, 2026
Bidder Letter of Intent to Bid Due By April 20, 2026
2:00 p.m.
Bidder Written Questions Due By May 4, 2026
2:00 p.m.
Agency Responses to Questions Issued By May 11, 2026
Bidder Proposals and any Amendments to Proposals Due By May 26, 2026
3:30 p.m.
Agency Announces Apparent Successful Bidder/Notice of Intent to June 9, 2026
Award
Contract Negotiations and Execution of the Contract Completed June 30, 2026
Anticipated Start Date for the Provision of Services July 1, 2026
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Section 1 Background and Scope of Work
1.1 Background.
The Agency's Cherokee Mental Health Institute (CMHI) in Cherokee, Iowa is a state-operated acute
psychiatric hospital in the Division of State-Operated Specialty Care serving persons with mental illness
including specialized treatment and security for adults ordered by the court into the custody of the state
for the purposes of competency restoration, adults who have been acquitted of a crime by reason of
insanity, and similarly situated adults at a mental health institute. The Facility is accredited by The Joint
Commission, certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and licensed by the
Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) to provide acute specialty hospital
care.
CMHI is a thirty-six (36) bed psychiatric hospital with inpatient programs for adult psychiatric and
forensic patients serving the entire state of Iowa. Many of our patients are suffering from severe and
persistent mental illnesses which respond, in most cases, to psychotropic medications. Every patient
has an individualized treatment plan that includes assessment and therapy from an array of
professional specialties. This Facility is staffed to provide continuous around-the-clock support to
patients.
The Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders (CCUSO) program was created by the 1998 Sexually
Violent Predators Act of Iowa to provide secure, inpatient treatment for sexual offenders who are
believed to be a high risk for sexually re-offending. Inpatient treatment is indefinite, with length of
treatment dependent upon the time required for each individual to complete the criteria for
advancement through the five (5) treatment phases.
The CCUSO program provides a secure, long-term, and highly structured setting to treat sexually
violent predators (SVP) who have served their prison terms, but who, in a separate civil trial, have been
found likely to commit further violent sexual offenses. Each patient receives an annual evaluation
completed and submitted to the court; each patient receives an individual Master Treatment Plan that is
updated annually, as well as Action Plans, which are completed every 90 days to assess treatment
progress.
The CCUSO program currently serves approximately 200 patients, of which 90% are inpatient.
The pharmacy located within the facility serves both the CMHI and CCUSO programs. The Agency
does not currently contract for this service. Any services provided under an agreement resulting from
this RFB will be intended to serve both the CMHI and CCUSO facilities. The anticipated monthly
volume of After-Hour medication orders requiring verification is 500.
1.2 RFB General Definitions.
When appearing as capitalized terms in this RFB, including attachments, the following quoted terms
(and the plural thereof, when appropriate) have the meanings set forth in this section.
"Agency" means the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
"Bid Proposal" or "Proposal" means the Bidder's proposal submitted in response to the RFB.
"Bidder" means the entity that submits a Bid Proposal in response to this RFB.
"Contractor" means the Bidder who enters into a Contract as a result of this Solicitation.
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"Deliverables" means all of the services, goods, products, work, work product, data (including data
collected on behalf of the Agency), items, materials and property to be created, developed, produced,
delivered, performed, or provided by or on behalf of, or made available through, the Contractor (or any
agent, contractor or subcontractor of the Contractor) in connection with any contract resulting from this
RFB.
"Invoice" means a Contractor's claim for payment. At the Agency's discretion, claims may be
submitted on an original invoice from the Contractor or may be submitted on a claim form accepted by
the Agency, such as a General Accounting Expenditure (GAX) form.
Definitions Specific to this RFB.
When appearing as capitalized terms in this RFB, including attachments, the following quoted terms
(and the plural thereof, when appropriate) have the meanings set forth in this section.
"After Hours" means coverage from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on the following day, Monday through
Friday.
"Normal Business Hours" means 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding State-
Paid Holidays.
"State-Paid Holiday" means coverage from 4:30 p.m. on the day preceding the holiday through 8:00
a.m. on the day following the holiday on specified State Holidays as listed at https://das.iowa.gov/state-
employees/state-accounting/centralized-payroll/state-holidays.
"Weekend" means coverage from 4:30 p.m. Friday through 8:00 a.m. on the following Monday.
1.3 Scope of Work.
1.3.1 Deliverables.
The Contractor shall provide the following:
1. The Contractor shall provide order verification coverage After Hours, Weekends, and on State-
Paid Holidays year-round unless otherwise directed by the Agency with notice of at least one (1)
week.
2. Coverage of Normal Business Hours may be requested by the Agency.
3. Any pharmacist performing services as part of this agreement must be licensed in the State of
Iowa.
4. The Contractor shall, during periods of coverage, have a licensed pharmacist available to
provide consultation to CMHI and CCUSO employees, answering questions and making
recommendations as needed.
1.3.2 Performance Measures.
1. The Contractor shall maintain an average turnaround verification time of sixty (60) minutes or
less for 90% of orders.
2. The Contractor shall maintain an accuracy rate of 98% or higher.
3. The Contractor shall be responsive to consultation within sixty (60) minutes for at least 90% of
requests.
4. The Contractor shall maintain licensure with the Board of Pharmacy for 100% of contract period.
1.3.3 Agency Responsibilities.
The Agency shall provide the Contractor with a maximum of two (2) secured laptop computers, login
credentials, and access to all applications necessary to perform the services outlined in this RFB. The
Contractor shall use the provided equipment solely for the purpose of fulfilling contractual obligations.
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After Hour Medication Order Verification
Upon conclusion of services, the Contractor shall return the laptop computer and any other Agency-
issued equipment in good working condition.
1.3.4 Contract Payment Methodology.
The Contractor shall be paid at a specified rate per order verified. If the contractor fails to meet the
established performance measures, the Agency reserves the right to apply a five percent (5%)
deduction to the Contractor's invoice for the affected billing period.
Section 2 Basic Information About the RFB Process
2.1 Issuing Officer.
The Issuing Officer is the sole point of contact regarding the RFB from the date of issuance until
selection of the successful Bidder. The Issuing Officer for this RFB is:
Katelyn Meyers
1251 W Cedar Loop
Cherokee, IA 51012
Phone: (712) 225-6950
katelyn.meyers@hhs.iowa.gov
2.2 Restriction on Bidder Communication.
From the issue date of this RFB until announcement of the successful Bidder, the Issuing Officer is the
point of contact regarding the RFB. There may be no communication regarding this RFB with any State
employee other than the Issuing Officer, except at the direction of the Issuing Officer or as otherwise
noted in the RFB. This section shall not be construed as restricting communications related to the
administration of any contract currently in effect between a Contractor and the Agency.
The Issuing Officer will respond only to questions regarding the procurement process. Questions
pertaining to the interpretation of this RFB may be submitted in accordance with the Questions,
Requests for Clarification, and Suggested Changes section of this RFB.
2.3 Downloading the RFB from the Internet.
The RFB and any related documents such as amendments or attachments (collectively the "RFB"), and
responses to questions will be posted at the State of Iowa's website for bid opportunities:
http://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/. Check this website periodically for any amendments to this RFB. The
posted version of the RFB is the official version. The Agency will only be bound by the official version
of the RFB document(s). Bidders should ensure that any downloaded documents are in fact the most
up to date and are unchanged from the official version.
2.4 Reserved. (Online Resources)
2.5 Intent to Bid.
The Agency requests that Bidders provide their intent to bid by email to the Issuing Officer by the date
and time in the Procurement Timetable. The Bidder may wish to request confirmation of receipt of the
email from the Issuing Officer to ensure delivery. Do not submit letters of intent by mail, shipping
service, or hand delivery. The intent to bid should include the Bidder's name, contact person, mailing
address, email address, telephone number, and a statement of intent to submit a bid in response to this
RFB. Though it is not mandatory that the Agency receive an intent to bid, the Agency will only respond
to questions about the RFB that have been submitted by Bidders who have expressed their intent to
bid. The Agency may cancel an RFB for lack of interest based on the number of letters of intent to bid
received.
2.6 Reserved. (Bidders' Conference)
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2.7 Questions, Requests for Clarification, and Suggested Changes.
Bidders who have provided their intent to bid on the RFB are invited to submit written questions,
requests for clarifications, and/or suggestions for changes to the specifications of this RFB (hereafter
"Questions") by the due date and time provided in the Procurement Timetable. Bidders are not
permitted to include assumptions in their Bid Proposals. Instead, Bidders shall address any perceived
ambiguity regarding this RFB through the question and answer process. If the Questions pertain to a
specific section of the RFB, the page and section number(s) must be referenced. Bidders shall submit
questions to the Issuing Officer by email. The Bidder may wish to request confirmation of receipt from
the Issuing Officer to ensure delivery. Do not submit questions by mail, shipping service, or hand
delivery.
Written responses to questions will be posted at http://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/ by the date provided
in the Procurement Timetable.
The Agency assumes no responsibility for verbal representations made by its officers or employees
unless such representations are confirmed in writing and incorporated into the RFB. In addition, the
Agency's written responses to Questions will not be considered part of the RFB. If the Agency decides
to change the RFB, the Agency will issue an amendment.
2.8 Submission of Bid Proposal.
Each Bidder is responsible for ensuring that the Issuing Officer receives the Bid Proposal by the time
and date specified in the Procurement Timetable at the email address provided in the RFB for the
Issuing Officer. The Agency will not waive this mandatory requirement. Any Bid Proposal received after
this deadline will be rejected and will not be evaluated.
Bid Proposals are to be submitted in accordance with the Bid Proposal Formatting section of this RFB.
Bid Proposals may not be hand-delivered to the Issuing Officer. Rather, Bid Proposals are to be
emailed.
2.9 Amendment to the RFB and Bid Proposal.
Each Bidder is responsible for ensuring that the Issuing Officer receives the Bid Proposal and any
permitted amendments by the established deadlines at the address provided in the RFB for the Issuing
Officer. Amendments must be received utilizing the same delivery method as set forth in the RFB for
the submission of the original Bid Proposal.
Bidders may amend a previously submitted Bid Proposal at any time before the bid submission date
and time. Any such amendment must be in writing and signed by the Bidder. The Bidder shall provide
the same number of copies of the amended Bid Proposal as is required for the original Bid Proposal, for
both hardcopy and electronic copies, in accordance with the Bid Proposal Formatting Section.
The Agency reserves the right to amend or provide clarifications to the RFB at any time. RFB
amendments will be posted to the State's website at http://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/. If an RFB
amendment occurs after the closing date for receipt of Bid Proposals, the Agency may, in its sole
discretion, allow Bidders to amend their Bid Proposals.
2.10 Withdrawal of Bid Proposal.
The Bidder may withdraw its Bid Proposal prior to the closing date for receipt of Bid Proposals by
submitting a written request to withdraw signed by the Bidder, scanned, then emailed to the Issuing
Officer. The Bidder should request confirmation of receipt of the email from the Issuing Officer to
ensure delivery.
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2.11 Costs of Preparing the Bid Proposal.
The costs of preparation and delivery of the Bid Proposal are solely the responsibility of the Bidder.
2.12 Rejection of Bid Proposals.
The Agency reserves the right to reject any or all Bid Proposals, in whole and in part, and to cancel this
RFB at any time prior to the execution of a written contract. Issuance of this RFB in no way constitutes
a commitment by the Agency to award or enter into a contract.
2.13 Review of Bid Proposals.
Only Bidders that meet the mandatory requirements and are not subject to disqualification will be
considered for award of a contract.
2.13.1 Mandatory Requirements.
Bidders must meet these mandatory requirements or will be disqualified and not considered for award
of a contract:
* The Issuing Officer must receive the Bid Proposal, and any amendments thereof, prior to or on
the due date and time (See RFB Sections 2.8 and 2.9).
* The Bidder is not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible,
or voluntarily excluded from receiving federal funding by any federal department or agency (See
RFB Additional Certifications Attachment).
* The Bidder is eligible to submit a bid in accordance with the Bidder Eligibility Requirements of
this RFB (See RFB Bidder Eligibility Requirements Section).
2.13.2 Reasons Proposals May be Disqualified.
Bidders are expected to follow the specifications set forth in this RFB. However, it is not the Agency's
intent to disqualify Bid Proposals that suffer from correctible flaws. At the same time, it is important to
maintain fairness to all Bidders in the procurement process. Therefore, the Agency reserves the
discretion to permit cure of variances, waive variances, or disqualify Bid Proposals for reasons that
include, but may not be limited to, the following:
* Bidder initiates unauthorized contact regarding this RFB with employees other than the Issuing
Officer (See RFB Section 2.2);
* Bidder fails to comply with the RFB's formatting specifications so that the Bid Proposal cannot
be fairly compared to other bids (See RFB Section 3.1);
* Bidder fails, in the Agency's opinion, to include the content required for the RFB;
* Bidder fails to be fully responsive in the Bidder's Approach to Meeting Deliverables Section,
states an element of the Scope of Work cannot or will not be met, or does not include
information necessary to substantiate that it will be able to meet the Scope of Work
specifications (See RFB Section 3.2.3);
* Bidder's response materially changes Scope of Work specifications;
* Bidder fails to submit the RFB attachments containing all signatures (See RFB Section 3.2.6);
* Bidder marks entire Bid Proposal confidential, makes excessive claims for confidential
treatment, or identifies pricing information in the Cost Proposal as confidential (See RFB
Section 3.1);
* Bidder includes assumptions in its Bid Proposal (See RFB Section 2.7); or
* Bidder fails to respond to the Agency's request for clarifications, information, documents, or
references that the Agency may make at any point in the RFB process.
* Bidder is a "scrutinized company" included on a "scrutinized company list" created by a public
fund pursuant to Iowa Code 12J. This list is maintained by the Iowa Public Employees'
Retirement System. The list is currently found here: https://ipers.org/investments/restrictions.
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The determination of whether or not to disqualify a proposal and not consider it for award of a contract
for any of these reasons, or to waive or permit cure of variances in Bid Proposals, is at the sole
discretion of the Agency. No Bidder shall obtain any right by virtue of the Agency's election to not
exercise that discretion. In the event the Agency waives or permits cure of variances, such waiver or
cure will not modify the RFB specifications or excuse the Bidder from full compliance with RFB
specifications or other contract requirements if the Bidder enters into a contract.
2.14 Bid Proposal Clarification Process.
The Agency may request clarifications from Bidders for the purpose of resolving ambiguities or
questioning information presented in the Bid Proposals. Clarifications may occur throughout the Bid
Proposal evaluation process. Clarification responses shall be in writing and shall address only the
information requested. Responses shall be submitted to the Agency within the time stipulated at the
occasion of the request.
2.15 Verification of Bid Proposal Contents.
The contents of a Bid Proposal submitted by a Bidder are subject to verification.
2.16 Reference Checks.
The Agency reserves the right to contact any reference to assist in the evaluation of the Bid Proposal,
to verify information contained in the Bid Proposal, to discuss the Bidder's qualifications, and/or to
discuss the qualifications of any subcontractor identified in the Bid Proposal.
2.17 Information from Other Sources.
The Agency reserves the right to obtain and consider information from other sources concerning a
Bidder, such as the Bidder's capability and performance under other contracts, and the Bidder's
authority and ability to conduct business in the State of Iowa. Such other sources may include subject
matter experts.
2.18 Criminal History and Background Investigation.
The Agency reserves the right to conduct criminal history and other background investigations of the
Bidder, its officers, directors, shareholders, or partners and managerial and supervisory personnel
retained by the Bidder for the performance of the resulting contract. The Agency reserves the right to
conduct criminal history and other background investigations of the Bidder's staff and subcontractors
providing services under the resulting contract.
2.19 Disposition of Bid Proposals.
Opened Bid Proposals become the property of the Agency and will not be returned to the Bidder. Upon
issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award, the contents of all Bid Proposals will be in the public domain
and be open to inspection by interested parties subject to exceptions provided in Iowa Code chapter 22
or other applicable law.
2.20 Public Records and Request for Confidential Treatment.
Original information submitted by a Bidder may be treated as public information by the Agency following
the conclusion of the selection process unless the Bidder properly requests that information be treated
as confidential at the time of submitting the Bid Proposal. See the Bid Proposal Formatting Section for
the proper method for making such requests. The Agency's release of information is governed by Iowa
Code chapter 22. Bidders are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Chapter 22 before submitting
a Bid Proposal. The Agency will copy public records as required to comply with public records laws.
The Agency will treat the information marked confidential as confidential information to the extent such
information is determined confidential under Iowa Code chapter 22 or other applicable law by a court of
competent jurisdiction. However, the Bidder shall certify by signing and returning RFB Attachment B its
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understanding that any Agency references to Bid Proposal information marked confidential made
during the evaluation process may become part of the public domain
In the event the Agency receives a request for information marked confidential, written notice shall be
given to the Bidder seventy-two (72) hours prior to the release of the information to allow the Bidder to
seek injunctive relief pursuant to Iowa Code 22.5 or 22.8.
The Bidder's failure to request confidential treatment of material pursuant to this section and the
relevant law will be deemed, by the Agency and State personnel, as a waiver of any right to
confidentiality that the Bidder may have had.
2.21 Copyrights.
By submitting a Bid Proposal, the Bidder agrees that the Agency may copy the Bid Proposal for
purposes of facilitating the evaluation of the Bid Proposal or to respond to requests for public records.
By submitting a Bid Proposal, the Bidder acknowledges that additional copies may be produced and
distributed, and represents and warrants that such copying does not violate the rights of any third party.
The Agency shall have the right to use ideas or adaptations of ideas that are presented in the Bid
Proposals.
2.22 Release of Claims.
By submitting a Bid Proposal, the Bidder agrees that it shall not bring any claim or cause of action
against the Agency based on any misunderstanding concerning the information provided herein or
concerning the Agency's failure, negligent or otherwise, to provide the Bidder with pertinent information
as intended by this RFB.
2.23 Reserved. (Presentations)
2.24 Notice of Intent to Award.
Notice of Intent to Award will be sent to all Bidders that submitted a Bid Proposal by the due date and
time. The Notice of Intent to Award does not constitute the formation of a contract between the Agency
and the apparent successful Bidder.
2.25 Acceptance Period.
The Agency shall make a good faith effort to negotiate and execute the contract. If the apparent
successful Bidder fails to negotiate and execute a contract, the Agency may, in its sole discretion,
revoke the Notice of Intent to Award and negotiate a contract with another Bidder or withdraw the RFB.
The Agency further reserves the right to cancel the Notice of Intent to Award at any time prior to the
execution of a written contract.
2.26 Review of Notice of Disqualification or Notice of Intent to Award Decision.
Bidders may request reconsideration of either a notice of disqualification or notice of intent to award
decision by submitting a written request to the Agency:
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After Hour Medication Order Verification
Bureau Chief
c/o Bureau of Service Contract Support
Department of Health and Human Services
Lucas State Office Building
321 E 12th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-1002
email: reconsiderationrequest@hhs.iowa.gov
The Agency must receive the written request for reconsideration within five calendar days of the date of
either a disqualification notice or a notice of intent to award, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal
state holidays. The written request may be emailed or delivered by postal service or other shipping
service. Do not deliver any requests for reconsideration to the office in person. It is the Bidder's
responsibility to ensure that the request for reconsideration is received prior to the deadline. Postmarking
or submission to a shipping service by the due date shall not substitute for actual receipt of a request for
reconsideration by the Agency.
The request for reconsideration shall clearly and fully identify all issues being contested by reference to
the page and section number of the RFB. If a Bidder submitted multiple Proposals and requests that the
Agency reconsider a notice of disqualification or notice of intent to award decision for more than one
Proposal, a separate written request shall be submitted for each. At the Agency's discretion, requests for
reconsideration from the same Bidder may be reviewed separately or combined into one response. The
Agency will expeditiously address the request for reconsideration and issue a decision. The Bidder may
choose to file an appeal with the Agency within five calendar days of the date of the decision on
reconsideration, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal state holidays, and in accordance with 441
Iowa Admin. Code Ch. 7.
2.27 Definition of Contract.
The full execution of a written contract shall constitute the making of a contract for services and no
Bidder shall acquire any legal or equitable rights relative to the contract services until the contract has
been fully executed by the apparent successful Bidder and the Agency.
2.28 Choice of Law and Forum.
This RFB and the resulting contract are governed by the laws of the State of Iowa without giving effect
to the conflicts of law provisions thereof. Changes in applicable laws and rules may affect the
negotiation and contracting process and the resulting contract. Bidders are responsible for ascertaining
pertinent legal requirements and restrictions. Any and all litigation or actions commenced in connection
with this RFB shall be brought and maintained in the appropriate Iowa forum.
2.29 Restrictions on Gifts and Activities.
Iowa Code chapter 68B restricts gifts that may be given or received by state employees and requires
certain individuals to disclose information concerning their activities with state government. Bidders
must determine the applicability of this Chapter to their activities and comply with the requirements. In
addition, pursuant to Iowa Code 722.1, it is a felony offense to bribe or attempt to bribe a public
official.
2.30 Exclusivity.
Any contract resulting from this RFB shall not be an exclusive contract.
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