Hospital pharmacy computer systems: request for proposal and the selection process

In this paper the various steps necessary for selecting a hospital pharmacy computer system are briefly outlined. The major steps include: establishment of the project leader and team; preparation of functional specifications for the pharmacy department; solicitation of vendor presentations; and site visits. Following this, functional specifications are refined and the Request for Proposal is prepared. The Request for Proposal outlines to each prospective vendor the conditions and terms the hospital will agree to enter with the chosen vendor. Evaluation of vendor proposals includes such factors as cost, software applications, interfaces, maintenance, and vendor stability. Vendor evaluation can be quantified based upon pre-defined selection criteria utilizing the application of weight factors to each criteria and scoring each vendor. Therefore, the final decision should be based on which vendor best meets that hospital pharmacy's specific needs as determined by both informal and formal mechanisms.