[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 32 (Friday, February 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4482-4483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02548]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Retail Pharmacy Interest in Utilization of Innovative Educational 
Technology To Increase Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Rates in 
Rural Areas

AGENCY: National Vaccine Program Office, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and 
Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This request for information (RFI) is issued for informational 
and planning purposes only. This RFI is not a solicitation; nor does it 
commit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue a 
solicitation, make any award, or pay any costs associated with 
responding to this announcement.
    The RFI is being issued by the National Vaccine Program Office 
(NVPO) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NVPO is 
located in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH), 
Office of the Secretary (OS), U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS). The NVPO provides strategic leadership and

[[Page 4483]]

management, policy scholarship and recommendations, and encourages 
collaboration and coordination among federal agencies and other 
stakeholders whose mission is to reduce the burden of preventable 
infectious disease through immunization. NVPO offers thorough 
reporting, unbiased advice and expertise to other agencies in 
identifying and responding to gaps in the vaccine system.
    Prevention of cancers associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 
infections continues to be a public health challenge in the United 
States. Vaccination is an effective, primary medical intervention for 
prevention of infection from these viruses. Despite this, HPV 
vaccination series completion rates remain low nationwide, with 
adolescents living in rural communities (per census definition of 
<50,000 population) having a significantly lower HPV vaccination 
coverage when compared to their urban or suburban counterparts.
    In accordance with policy recommendations from the National Vaccine 
Advisory Committee and efforts to promote HPV-vaccination coverage in 
rural areas, NVPO is seeking information on the level of interest of 
retail pharmacies in utilizing innovative educational models for both 
providers and customers to increase HPV-vaccination rates in rural 
areas.

DATES: Information from retail pharmacies with greater than 100 stores 
in geographic areas considered to be rural by the census definition 
(<50,000 population) should submit responses to this RFI as described 
in the addresses section below no later than midnight, 12:00 a.m. EDT 
on February 25, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Responses should be submitted in Portable Document Format 
(PDF) only and be sent via email to [email protected]. The name(s) of all 
PDF files uploaded should begin with ``NVPO_RFI_Pharmacy'' followed by 
the organization name and the sequential number of the file, if more 
than one file is submitted. All submissions responsive to this RFI must 
be made as indicated above. Mailed paper submissions will not be 
reviewed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Vaccine Program Office, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and 
Human Services; telephone (202) 690-5566; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Responses to this RFI should be in the 
format outlined below. Primary responses should be limited to no more 
than 30 pages, 12 point, Times New Roman font, using a minimum of one-
inch margins. Supplementary material may be included in appendices and 
will not count toward the page limitation.

Section 1--General Information

    Responses to this RFI should include (1) the organization's full 
name, (2) headquarters location, and (3) a description of interest 
level in utilizing innovative educational models for both providers and 
customers to increase HPV vaccine series completion and thereby lower 
vaccine preventable HPV-associated cancers.

Section 2--Qualifications and Experience

    Provide a description of corporate experience in developing and/or 
implementing innovative educational models for both (1) retail pharmacy 
providers, and (2) customers as part of health messaging, i.e. to 
increase vaccination rates.

Section 3--Recommendations for Execution

    Provide recommendations or lessons learned while developing and/or 
implementing an innovative educational model for retail pharmacy 
providers and customers to increase HPV-vaccination rates.

Section 4--Likelihood of Participation

    Comment on the likelihood of your firm to submit a proposal for the 
utilization of innovative educational technology to increase HPV 
vaccination rates in rural areas.
    Companies are invited to respond to this request for information if 
they meet at least three of the following criteria:

1. Are a national retail pharmacy with greater than 100 stores in 
geographic areas considered to be rural by the census definition 
(<50,000 population)
2. Are a national employer
3. Have an immunization provider (i.e. nurse, pharmacist, physician) on 
site in their stores
4. Stores must stock and administer Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
5. Have existing virtual reality (VR) platform employee training in 
place
6. Have both brick-and-mortar locations and a website by which 
consumers can make purchases
7. Have existing patient/consumer health education campaigns
8. Have a least one site with the designation of `Centers of Excellence 
in Specialized Pharmacy Care'

    Responders should include point-of-contact information including 
email and postal mailing address.
    Responses to any of the above areas are welcome; respondents are 
not required to address all the issues identified in the request. 
Public release of the data submitted is governed by the Freedom of 
Information Act (https://www.hhs.gov/foia/). Response to the RFI will 
not be returned.

    Dated: February 1, 2019.
Tammy Beckham,
Acting Director, National Vaccine Program Office.
[FR Doc. 2019-02548 Filed 2-14-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-44-P