Better Management and Price Negotiation Will Improve the VA Multiple Award Schedule Program

Gao ID: NSIAD-83-33 September 20, 1983

GAO reviewed the Veterans Administration's (VA) procurement of drugs and pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and subsistence products through the multiple award schedule (MAS) program, under which VA and other agencies procure certain supplies directly from vendors at a negotiated price.

GAO found that VA may not be obtaining the lowest prices possible under the MAS program because: (1) prices offered by vendors are not fully analyzed; (2) inadequate and unreliable vendor-submitted data are used for negotiations; and (3) offers are frequently accepted without counteroffers or negotiations. Management of the MAS program is also hampered by the large volume of products and contracts. In addition, GAO found that the format of the drug and pharmaceutical schedules does not provide customers with sufficient information to make buying decisions.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Robert M. Gilroy Team: General Accounting Office: National Security and International Affairs Division Phone: (202) 275-4268


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