Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise F. Rogers, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Cassius Lockett, Director, Public Health, Policy and Planning
Subject: BioFire Diagnostics, LLC Test Kits for the FilmArray Instrument
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution:
A) Authorizing the Purchasing Agent to spend up to $450,000 for the term of May 1, 2019 through April 30, 2022, for BioFire Diagnostics, LLC test kits that are compatible with FilmArray Instruments and are consistent with the vendor agreement; and
B) Authorizing the Purchasing Agent to add new reagents and test supplies to the vendor agreement as necessary; and
C) Waiving the competitive bid process.
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BACKGROUND:
In 2013, the County Office of Emergency Services purchased two BioFire 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. Results for these molecular panels are available in roughly one hour and require approximately five minutes of operator set-up time. Using these FilmArray Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) panels significantly reduces the turnaround time for pathogen detection, when compared to other conventional or molecular methods.
PHL will soon offer the FilmArray PCR panels for GI and Meningitis/Encephalitis, per the County's Public Health Communicable Disease Program request.
DISCUSSION:
BioFire Diagnostics, LLC (BioFire) is the sole source provider of kits and reagents that are compatible with BioFire FilmArray instruments. County Purchasing currently has a vendor agreement with BioFire through which it purchases supplies for the BioFire FilmArray instruments. Every year, BioFire provides the County with a proprietary fixed-price quote on var...
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