Department of Veterans Affairs, National Acquisition Center, P.O. Box 76, Bldg. 37, Hines, IL 60141-0076

70 -- COMMERCIAL, OFF-THE-SHELF DATABASE ON INFORMATION FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS POC Jane Brusveen (708) 786-7659 VA requires a commercial, off-the-shelf database with system application (Windows compatible), delivery within 15 business days, and on-site training. This database shall contain pricing and comprehensive descriptive information on prescription and over-the counter drugs. The database shall include every drug product approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for manufacture and distribution of healthcare products. This would encompass prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, chemicals used for compounding, medical devices, and supplies. The database shall include both active and inactive items. Inactive items must be actively reviewed and updated at least monthly. The database shall be in the form of a flat-based file that can be downloaded and manipulated in a personal computer as well as have an application (Windows) to allow for easy data retrieval. The company selected shall allow for a network license at the National Acquisition Center (NAC). VA will use this database at the location mentioned above to populate the National Drug File (NDF) in the Veterans Integrated Health System Architecture (VISTA), a computer system used in all VA facilities. The company must allow for at least 20 concurrent users (per server connection). The database shall contain, at a minimum, the following information: NDC (10 digit format), manufacturer, route of administration, package size, package type, inactivation data, old NDC (multiple), dosage form, strength, units, dispense unit, generic name, controlled substance schedule, history, break-down on drug classification system, new items, and updated wholesale prices. The database must have historical information on pricing including but not limited to: wholesale prices, commercial pricing, etc. and previous NDC information. This data shall be broken down into various fields. Record maintenance data shall contain, at a minimum, fields for: record change indicator (activity indicator), record change date, price change date, add indicator, add date, deactivate indicator, deactivate date, reactivate indicator, reactivate date, and correction indicator. Fields for NDC data shall contain at a minimum: NDC 5-4-2 format, NDC original configuration code, NDC standard 10 format, NDC change flag, previous NDC 5-4-2 format, previous NDC original configuration code, previous NDC standard 10 format, previous NDC AWP effective date, previous NDC AWP, and previous NDC discontinuation date. Fields for product description data shall contain at a minimum: additional description, DEA class code, DESI drug indicator, DESI effective date, dispensing unit flag, exceptional drug indicator, form code, generic class code, generic cross reference code, maintenance drug indicator, manufacturer code, manufacturer name, measure code, metric size, Orange Book standard flag, package size, product name, product weight/volume, single source indicator, solid/liquid indicator, standard package size, standard unit of measure, strength, therapeutic class code, and unit dose flag. Fields forprice data, at a minimum, shall contain: average wholesale price start indicator, average wholesale price sector, wholesale acquisition cost start indicator, wholesale acquisition cost sector, direct price start indicator, direct price sector, federal upper limit price start indicator, federal upper limit price sector, suggested retail price start indicator, and suggested retail price sector. All information shall be accurate and complete. No information shall be fabricated. Updates of pricing, NDC information, or any new drug releases from FDA must be provided to the VA on a monthly basis by means of diskette, CD-ROM, or on-line via electronic transfer. If information is transferred using corrupt files, they must be replaced in a timely manner. VA requires the updated information be current as of date of release. Demonstration of database at NAC shall be required. Year 2000 Compliance -- Company must warrant that the database delivered under this potential purchase order shall be able to accurately process date data (including, but not limited to, calculating, comparing, and sequencing) from, into, and between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including leap year calculations, when used in accordance with the product documentation provided by the contractor, provided that all listed or unlisted products (e.g. hardware, software, firmware) used in combination with such listed product properly exchange date data with it. Posted 02/05/99 (W-SN295399). (0036)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0338 19990209\70-0008.SOL)