To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #26-492-23 with Cardinal Health Pharmacy Services, LLC
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute on behalf of the County Contract #26-492-23 with Cardinal Health Pharmacy Services, LLC, a limited liability company, in an amount not to exceed $1,370,000, to provide after-hours physician medication ordering services for Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (CCRMC) and Contra Costa Health Centers, for the period from June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This contract will result in contractual service expenditures of up to $1,370,000 over a 2-year period and will be funded 100% by Hospital Enterprise Fund I revenues.
BACKGROUND:
CCRMC has an obligation to provide review of physician medication ordering services for pharmacy review and order input of prescription medications. This Contractor has been providing pharmacy review and order entry services at CCRMC since June 1, 2007. This Contractor is a wholesaler for medications from where the Pharmacy Department purchases the bulk of medications used for patient care at CCRMC and Contra Costa Health Centers. They have qualified, licensed pharmacists who take prescription order verification after hours and answer nursing and provider questions if needed. CCRMC Pharmacy Department is not open 24-hours-a-day and therefore, Contractor provides needed and continued services for patient care needs.
This Contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: California Government Code §§ 26227 and 31000. This Contractor was approved by the Public Works Department’s Purchasing Division on February 23, 2026 as a sole source. CCRMC’s Quality Management, Utilization Management and Contract Monitor Staff meet on a regular basis to ensure monitoring and performance measures in the Contract are upheld. The Department has met its labor obligations by meeting and conferring with the Union.
On May 21, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #26-492-22, in an amount not to exceed $1,370,000, to provide after-hours physician medication ordering services for CCRMC and Contra Costa Health Centers for the period June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2026.
Approval of Contract #26-492-23 will allow the Contractor to continue to provide after-hours physician medication ordering services through May 31, 2028. This Contract contains a mutual indemnification provision requiring the Parties to indemnify and hold harmless the other for claims arising out of the sole willful misconduct or negligence in the performance of the Agreement.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Contract is not approved, patients requiring after-hours medication orders at CCRMC will not have access the Contractor’s services.