Contract Notice - Memo 1

April 28, 2004

MEMORANDUM NO.:

268-000-04-1(1)

TO:

User Agency

FROM:

Director, State Purchasing

SUBJECT:

Contract No. 268-000-04-1

Title: Pharmaceutical Purchasing Program - MMCAP

The following changes have been made to the subject contract:

Minnesota Multi-state Contracting Alliance for Pharmacy (MMCAP) replaces the Statewide Pharmaceuticals contract # 268-000-03-1 and the Pharmaceutical: Influenza Virus Vaccine contract # 268-000-03-3

On September 15, 2003, the State of Florida began a new pharmaceuticals program for the benefit of all state agencies and political subdivisions that utilize pharmaceuticals for their clients. Florida became the 42nd member of the Minnesota Multi-state Contracting Alliance for Pharmacy (MMCAP).

What is MMCAP? -The Minnesota Multi-state Contracting Alliance for Pharmacy (MMCAP), created in 1985, is a free, voluntary group purchasing organization operated and managed by the Materials Management Division of the State of Minnesota's Department of Administration for government-run health care facilities. It combines the purchasing power of its members to receive the best prices available for the products and services for which it contracts.

Goods/Services Available - While MMCAP contracts with over 150 pharmaceutical manufacturers, and also has contracts for distributors (to support the pharmaceutical contracts), hospital supplies, drug testing, returned goods processing, influenza vaccine, and vials and containers; at this time Florida will only be accessing the pharmaceuticals and vaccines offered by MMCAP. MMCAP's niche is to provide, through volume contracting and careful contract management, the best value in pharmaceuticals and related products to its members - eligible governmental health care facilities.

Current Participating Entities -MMCAP is currently made up of 42 Participating Entities, with over 2700 participating facilities: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas. Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the City of Chicago.

Existing Florida contracts for pharmaceuticals were cancelled effective September 14, 2003. MMCAP pricing is now available to all Florida eligible entities through Cardinal Health 103, Inc. MMCAP has an extensive listing of awarded items (several thousand), which is available to our accounts directly from Cardinal.com in the same manner as our past contract awards were accessed.

Pharmaceutical purchases by Florida eligible entities are to be made directly from Cardinal with the exceptions of some vaccines and sole source items, as designated by MMCAP, which are to be purchased directly from the MMCAP awarded vendor.

If a facility purchased pharmaceuticals directly from a manufacturer in the past they will need to update their files to show Cardinal as our designated supplier unless otherwise indicated by MMCAP. Cardinal Health 110, Inc. is fully registered with MyFloridaMarketPlace.

Please direct questions regarding MMCAP to Jay Francis, DOH Statewide Pharmaceutical Services, 850-922-4627-x129 email: jay_francis@doh.state.fl.us

DSP/sb