Request for Information (RFI) - Specialty Pharmacy – Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor (PPV) 2028

Updated Nov 3, 2026

Sources Sought from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Due Nov 16, 2026, 11:00 AM (UTC-6), 13 days left.

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• Bid document 18 KB

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Description

Department of Veterans Affairs, OALC, EPO AS7 Request for Information (RFI) Specialty Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor (PPV) 2028 Limited Distribution/Closed Distribution Products (CDP) are specialty medications that are generally high-cost, low-volume items for which manufacturers restrict distribution to a small, select network of authorized distributors outside traditional wholesale channels.

Specialty Pharmacy dispensed prescriptions, must have a clinical justification or regulatory requirement to restrict dispensing to specialty pharmacies. These products may require additional pharmacy-performed activities such as product-specific registration, safety checks, monitoring, or compliance with manufacturer-mandated dispensing requirements. CDPs may or may not require pass-through delivery depending on the manufacturer's distribution model.

The contractor shall ensure that all Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) items requiring specialty distribution including all those not currently/historically included or physically distributed through the Prime Vendor (PPV) are orderable by authorized ordering officers through the pharmaceutical prime vendor ordering platform. When a product requires specialty distribution, the pharmaceutical distributor shall coordinate fulfillment directly with the manufacturer-designated specialty distributor, even in cases where physical possession or shipment bypasses the pharmaceutical prime vendor.

The goal is to provide seamless ordering access, accurate invoicing, and visibility into CDP transactions while maintaining compliance with manufacturer restrictions and ensuring timely, compliant delivery to VA facilities. Market Research Questions: Could this be included in the PPV scope? What is the potential impact on pricing, performance, and competition of bringing all FSS CDPs under PPV?

Would it be reasonable for any one entity to coordinate the ordering and delivery for all LDD/CDP products that are on and may be added to FSS? Is this scope currently handled within your company? If not, how would your company intend to meet this requirement OR is there another avenue you would recommend?

For all currently FSS-listed LDD/CDP products, can your company provide ordering access through the PPV (or a PPV-like) platform, regardless of distribution restrictions? Are there any FSS-listed CDPs your company historically has not been able to access due to manufacturer restrictions? If yes, please specify the nature of the barrier.

When new CDP items are added to FSS, what onboarding timeline should VA expect for those items to become orderable through your system? Do any manufacturer agreements for FSS items explicitly prevent PPV(or PPV-like) -facilitated ordering? If so, what workarounds exist?

What system changes are required to ensure all FSS CDPs whether physically stocked or drop-shipped are visible and orderable in the PPV (or PPV-like) ordering environment? What level of order visibility can be provided through your Ordering System tools for FSS CDPs fulfilled outside PPV (e.g., order acceptance, shipment status, delivery confirmation)? How would you provide VA with consistent reporting for all FSS CDP transactions, including reconciliation between the invoice and specialty distributor fulfillment?

For FSS products subject to mandatory manufacturer programs, how does your company ensure compliance while still enabling ordering through PPV? What percentage of FSS-listed CDPs does your company currently distribute or coordinate? What system or operational investments would be required to scale your processes to support all FSS CDPs efficiently?

Does your company recommend a single PPV (or PPV-like)-based mechanism for all FSS CDPs? Submission Instructions: Provide responses no later than 11AM Central November 16, 2026 Send responses via email to [email protected] Telephone or fax responses will not be accepted. Include the following in your submission: Company Name Point of contact name, phone and email UEI and CAGE Code Socioeconomic designation(s), if applicable Important Notes: This announcement is not a solicitation and does not obligate the Government to issue a solicitation or award.

No contract will be awarded from this notice. Participation in this RFI (or lack thereof) does not preclude any vendor from submitting a proposal to the future PPV 2028 solicitation. All responses will be used for market research purposes only.

The VA may contact respondents for clarification of submitted responses. The Government will not reimburse any costs associated with responding to this notice or participating in any related activities. The VA appreciates industry's time and expertise in supporting the development of an effective PPV 2028 program, which supports delivery of pharmaceutical products to VA medical centers nationwide.

Contracting contact

• Karen Ade · Chief, Pharmaceutical Division · [email protected] · 708-786-5231

As published on the official notice. Ask questions in writing and before any questions deadline the notice sets.

Is your business small enough?

For NAICS 325412, a business counts as small if it has no more than 1,300 employees (SBA size standard). This notice is not set aside, but the size decides your small business status on it. SBA table, current as of Oct 15, 2026.

Companies that win this kind of work

Federal contractors paid for pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing work, who also hold VA contracts (last 12 months): possible competitors, or partners to team with.

• Mckesson Corporation $12.3 billion in this trade
• Exelan Pharmaceuticals Inc $97.1 million in this trade
• Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc $40.8 million in this trade
• Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation $39.9 million in this trade
• Trillamed LLC $1.1 million in this trade

About the buyer

The Department of Veterans Affairs awarded $84.6 billion in contracts in the last 12 months; its biggest suppliers were Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc., Mckesson Corporation and Triwest Healthcare Alliance Corp. See what VA is buying now.

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing contracts right now

There are 20 open government contract opportunities in this trade (NAICS 325412), 8 posted in the last 7 days; 10% are set aside for small businesses. The agencies buying the most are Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Logistics Agency and Department of State. Most of the work with a stated place is in Pennsylvania, Texas and North Carolina. A notice in this trade gives a median of 17 days from posting to deadline; this one gives 14 days.

All open pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing contracts

Coming up in this trade

Planned contracts from the agencies' procurement forecasts, often months before a solicitation. Plans can change.

Recent awards in this trade

• Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation $769,497 · Department of Veterans Affairs · Oct 29, 2026
• Nuclear Diagnostic Products Of Philadelphia, Inc $1.2 million · Department of Veterans Affairs · Oct 29, 2026
• Alembic Therapeutics LLC $475,000 · Department of Veterans Affairs · Oct 26, 2026
• Avkare LLC $1.6 million · Department of Veterans Affairs · Oct 23, 2026
• Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation $3.1 million · Department of Veterans Affairs · Oct 1, 2026

From the award notices agencies publish.

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