Special Notice / Hearing: None
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise F. Rogers, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Marc Meulman, Director, Public Health, Policy, and Planning
Subject: Vendor Agreement for Biomerieux -USA for Testing Supplies
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution:
A) Authorizing the Purchasing Agent to spend up to $800,000 for a term of 36 months, for Biomerieux -USA test kits that are compatible with FilmArray Instruments; and
B) Authorizing County Procurement to create a new vendor agreement and add new reagents and test supplies as necessary.
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BACKGROUND:
In 2013, the County Office of Emergency Services purchased two Biomerieux -USA FilmArray instruments for the County's Public Health Laboratory (PHL), which is run by the Public Health, Policy, and Planning (PHPP) division. The instruments support multiple molecular test panels that rapidly detect for respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI) pathogens, as well as biothreat agents. Using FilmArray Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) panels significantly reduces the turnaround time for pathogen detection, when compared to other conventional or molecular methods.
DISCUSSION:
Biomerieux -USA is the sole source provider of kits and reagents that are compatible with Biomerieux -USA FilmArray instruments. The vendor agreement County Procurement created in 2019 to purchase FilmArray instruments from Biomerieux -USA, previously DBA as Biofire Diagnostics, LLC, expired in April 2022. Every year, Biomerieux -USA provides the County with a proprietary fixed-price quote on various products. PHL then order supplies consistent with that fixed-price on an as-needed basis.
PHPP is requesting authorization from this Board to allow County Procurement to re-establish the vendor agreement that allows the Purchasing Agent to spend up to $800,000 for a term of 36 months, to order test kits that are compatible with the Biomerieux -USA FilmArray instru...
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