Opportunity Overview
Iowa HHS RFP PHTHOIT27001 seeks a qualified respondent to provide direct pharmacy services for the state’s Tuberculosis, Sexually Transmitted Infection and Immunization programs. The anticipated performance period is January 1, 2027 through June 30, 2032.
Deadline and Current Schedule
The application deadline has been extended to October 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM Central Time. Final written questions were due August 31, and the current IowaGrants Q&A now includes operational responses through that final question round. The opportunity remains posted in IowaGrants.
Funding Structure
The controlling RFP states that the initial state-funded services contract shall not exceed $456,750 for the January 1, 2027 through June 30, 2029 budget periods. Iowa HHS anticipates up to $1,065,750 available from January 1, 2027 through June 30, 2032 for approximately one award, subject to funding availability and Agency discretion.
Who Should Pursue It
This is a specialized pharmacy-services procurement open to retail pharmacies. Applicants must have at least three years of pharmacy-related experience including direct pharmacy services and statewide coverage, be located in Iowa for receipt, storage and dispensing, maintain adequate inventory and compliant refrigeration capacity, provide statewide mail-order service, and maintain the drug-storage pharmacy within 40 miles of the Iowa HHS Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines.
Strategic Value
Atlas Opportunity Score: 68/100. The procurement is relevant to statewide public-health operations and has a long contract horizon.
N9+ Direct Vendor Fit: low. The scope is direct pharmacy services for TB, STI and immunization programs, not remote physical examination, telehealth, RPM or general health-technology acquisition. Dr. Miltie should not force a response path unless a future amendment materially expands the scope.
Current Q&A Operating Profile
Iowa HHS reports approximately 1,700 TB prescriptions and 18,000 STI prescriptions annually. The STI program currently serves 44 clinic sites; calendar-year 2025 volume was approximately 360 STI shipments and 2,000 TB shipments. About 140 STI shipments annually require cold-chain handling, and active-TB prescriptions for roughly 70 patients annually require next-day delivery. The contractor is reimbursed by accepted unit rates for prescriptions and shipments, medication acquisition costs are paid directly by Iowa HHS, and Iowa HHS states it will amend the contract if service volume would exceed the maximum contract funding amount.
Application Strategy
Qualified pharmacy-service respondents should use the full RFP, First Amendment, current program description, drug formularies, program forms, sample contract, score tool and the posted Q&A to validate Iowa pharmacy licensure, statewide fulfillment capacity, compounding, cold-chain logistics, next-day TB delivery, Script Tracker collaboration and unit-rate pricing before submitting through IowaGrants by October 5 at 4:00 PM CT. This remains a specialized pharmacy procurement, so Dr. Miltie should not pursue it as a direct bidder absent independently verified pharmacy-service qualifications.
Verified source: IowaGrants opportunity 676211, RFP PHTHOIT27001, rechecked September 19, 2026.