The Ohio Controlling Board approved Aug. 18 two requests from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to grant spending authority with non‑prime vendors to ensure continuity of medication supply for state entities.
Vanessa McMahon, deputy director of external affairs at the department, explained the state maintains two prime vendor contracts competitively bid through the Department of Administrative Services but sometimes must use smaller or specialty distributors when prime vendors are backordered or when certain specialty medications are available only through a sole distributor. "In item number 36, this is, Capital Wholesale. ... they often have some of those back ordered medications on hand," McMahon said, citing medications to treat seizures, high blood pressure and depression. For item 37 she said Cardinal Health is sometimes the only source for specialty drugs for resistant cancers and for hemophilia A.
Representative Matthews and Representative Stewart asked about procurement and timing; McMahon said the requests include waivers of competitive selection when necessary because of timing or vendor exclusivity. The transcript records the board approved both items with no objections reported afterward.
The department said if medications are available from the prime vendors, it will not use the additional spending authority; the approvals are to ensure the state can obtain medications when needed.