May 21, 2014—The Health Resources and Services Administration has taken the first step toward soliciting proposals to operate the 340B Prime Vendor Program. [ms-protect-content id=”2799″]
Apexus, a nonprofit subsidiary of the group purchasing organization Provista, has been managing PVP since September 2009 under a two-year base contract with three option years. It has been in charge of the program under previous contracts with HRSA since 2003.
In a May 19 notice on the Federal Business Opportunities website, HRSA said it expected to release a “request for agreement” to manage PVP in about 15 days, which would fall on June 3. Bidders will then have 30 days to submit their proposals.
The 340B statute directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a prime vendor for the 340B program. Its main job is to negotiate sub-ceiling discounts for covered entities below the statutory 340B ceiling price.
“The offer that submits a technically-acceptable responsive proposal that offers the best value to member entities will be selected as the prime vendor,” HRSA said in the public notice.
In recent years, Apexus has assumed 340B technical assistance responsibilities that were carried out by the now-defunct Pharmacy Services Support Center, which had been the 340B program’s other main contractor for a decade until 2012. The American Pharmacists Association ran PSSC under a series of contracts. In 2012, HRSA gave APhA a new one-year contract with four option years to support HRSA’s 340B audit activities and for related 340B program integrity work.
In the fall of 2011, Apexus launched 340B University, a series of training sessions held at locations across the country. Apexus says on its website that an online version is “currently in development for launch in 2014.” Apexus also maintains a 340B FAQ, has a service to help drug manufacturers deliver refunds to covered entities for 340B overcharges, and has indicated in public forums that it may launch a comparable service to help covered entities make repayments to manufacturers for improperly claimed discounts.[/ms-protect-content]