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Nursing home switches pharmacy vendor to HealthDirect after RFP, board approves two-year contract
Summary
After a competitive RFP, commissioners accepted the nursing home's recommendation to contract with HealthDirect Pharmacy Services for medication management, citing lower per-review costs and integration support; the contract term was listed as two years and commissioners approved the recommendation.
Belknap County commissioners accepted the nursing home's recommendation to award a two-year pharmacy contract to HealthDirect Pharmacy Services following a request-for-proposals process that produced three bids.
Shelley Richards, who presented the procurement results, told the board three vendors responded: HealthDirect, Omnicare of New Hampshire (the facility's incumbent), and PharMerica. Richards summarized key differences, including pharmacist chart-review charges and consulting hourly fees. She said HealthDirect charges about $7 per resident for the monthly pharmacist medication-review service, compared with Omnicare's $14.50 per interim medication review (which Richards said has risen to $15.85), and that Omnicare's consultant hourly fee would increase from $90 to $94.50.
Richards said HealthDirect provides integration from the county's PCC software to HealthDirect's electronic medication administration record (EMAR) without a conversion charge, while the other vendors either required an integration fee or were the incumbent for which no migration would be needed. She also noted differences in delivery schedules and on-call availability; HealthDirect does not have a regular Sunday delivery but will stat-deliver at no charge if needed.
Richards recommended HealthDirect based on the expected cost savings on monthly med reviews, integration support, and vendor references. Commissioners asked about contract terms and transition time; Richards said if approved, HealthDirect typically needs six to eight weeks to start and the county could see savings this fiscal year.
A commissioner moved to accept the nursing administration's recommendation; the motion was seconded and carried. The board recorded the award to HealthDirect as an administrative contract award; specific contract language, pricing schedule and start date were to be finalized with the vendor.
