Unit Dose - Medicine Packing and Distribution System

The contracting authority HUS Pharmacy (Procurement unit) seeks in this Invitation to Participate all interested companies to send a Request to Participate in the procurement of a Unit Dose - Medicine Packing and Distribution System. This procurement exceeds the EU threshold as defined in Section 26 of the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts (1397/2016, “Procurement Act”). The procurement will be carried out as a competitive negotiated procedure in accordance with Section 36 of the Procurement Act. The subject of this procurement is a Unit Dose - Medicine Packing and Distribution System, which refers to automated mechanical packing and dispensing of medication into patient- and time-specific bundles. Dispensing is based on medication data retrieved from the patient information system. The regular medication of the patient is delivered to the ward pre-packaged as individual unit doses (UD), which are bundled together for each dosage, for example with the use of a ring. The system includes - packaging devices that pack multiple different forms of medication (e. g. tablettes, capsules, ampoulles, and syringes) into unit-dose packages - storage and distribution devices that dispense patient specific medication to be delivered to the wards. The procurement also includes the system’s hardware and software installation, user training and maintenance services as well as possible device-specific accessories and consumables. The system and all related services, including integration, included in this procurement are hereinafter referred to as the “System”. The aim of the System is to automate dispensing of medication to patients, improve medication safety and reduce pharmaceutical waste. The objective of the procurement is to achieve a safer and more efficient medication management process and to enable nursing staff to allocate more time to direct patient care. The System must operate seamlessly as a part of the pharmaceutical supply chain and its operational processes. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECT OF THE PROCUREMENT The subject of the procurement is a system designed to automate the packaging of unit doses and formation of patient specific medication doses to the greatest extent possible. The System manages the daily medication of approx. 800 patients in accordance with the principles of uninterrupted, closed-loop medication management process. The System receives the patients’ medication data from the patient information system and automatically dispenses the patient-specific doses based on this data. The production of unit doses must be separable from storage and distribution, and the capacity of both must be scalable by the addition of equipment. Storage and distribution devices are not intended to be placed in ward medical rooms. Instead, patient-specific distribution shall be carried out centrally at hospital/campus location. Details of installation order and amount of units are considered during the negotiations. Storage and distribution equipment will be procured according to the needs of the contracting entities included in this procurement. The supplier is responsible for installing the equipment in the designated facilities and is committed to cooperating with the contractor of the new building during the installation phase. The procurement will be carried out as a joint procurement for the HUS Pharmacy and, as an option, for the wellbeing services counties listed in the request for participation. The wellbeing services counties may choose to participate in the procurement and purchase storage and distribution equipment for their use. PROJECT SCHEDULE The order will be placed and the first invoice must be due in 2026. The first installations of the packaging equipment will take place from 2027 onwards. The installations will take place in two phases between 2027-2029 at least in some HUS Group buildings. Following the selection of the supplier, the supplier, the contracting authority, the end user, and the possible construction contractor shall jointly prepare a project schedule that considers the installation timelines of the different components of the procurement.