HomeVA ProstheticsVA Handbook 1173.2 - Furnishing Prosthetic Appliances and ServicesStock Procurement

2.3. Stock Procurement

a. If the appliance is to be procured commercially, VA Form 2237, Request, Turn-in and Receipt for Property or Services, will be electronically prepared through the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VISTA) software. The printed copy of the form will be retained as a delivery copy to compare with the item(s) received. Stock items may also be procured through use of the purchase card.

b. On receipt of the appliances at the facility warehouse, delivery will be made to the Prosthetics Service. If the received appliance meets the specification of the order, as verified by the suspense copy, VA Form 90-2138-7 (ADP), Order for Supplies or Service, will be signed and dated by an authorized receiving official.

c. Purchase Order Number. The purchase order number is assigned sequentially by the Integrated Funds Distribution, Control Point Activity, Accounting and Procurement (IFCAP) process at the time the order is obligated. The purchase order number from VA Form 90-2138-7 (ADP) will be used to exercise the option 'Record 2237 Purchase to 2319' after receipt. In recording the transaction to the VA Form 10-2319 (ADP), simultaneous posting to the National Prosthetic Patient Database (NPPD) occurs. The provision of items from stock is exercised through the Prosthetics software. Items and/or services are posted to the VA Form 10-2319 (ADP) and deleted from the quantity of existing stock.

d. Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA). BPAs are designed to reduce the number of daily purchases and may be established for the purpose of obtaining large quantities of similar items and to benefit from quantity discounts. Under no circumstances should the existence of BPA for a particular product be used as a vehicle for denying issuance of a similar, non-BPA item that would be more appropriate for meeting a beneficiary's medical needs. These arrangements may be used jointly by several facilities. Items, equipment, and services obtained through BPAs are processed as described above using VA Form 2237.

e. Recommended Special and/or Experimental Appliance. If a special and/or experimental appliance is recommended for issuance to a beneficiary, VA Form 10-2641, Authorization for Issuance of Special and/or Experimental Appliances, will be prepared. Completion of this form is self-explanatory; however, a thorough and comprehensive justification for issuance of the requested item must be presented so that a proper decision can be made by VHA Headquarters personnel. In addition to the diagnosis, the following information will be required:

(1) A statement regarding the physical condition of the patient including an assessment of functional limitations and the reason why the particular device is needed.

(2) Reports of home visits (if applicable) including information on accessible space, floor plan layouts, available electrical power, or other factors effecting the use or installation of the requested equipment.

(3) Alternatives considered using more conventional devices or methods.

(4) The ability of the patient to use and operate the device and/or the availability of family members of family members or attendants to assist the veteran.

(5) Training provided to the veteran and/or family members.

(6) Illustrative literature or scientific articles (if pertinent) should be included particularly if the item is new to the market. VA Form 10-2641 will be signed by the appropriate physician, the Prosthetics representative, and will be forwarded to VHA Headquarters. A copy of the document will be held in suspense until a decision has been rendered. It is recommended that the "critical comment" on VA Form 10-2319 (ADP) be annotated to reflect the status of VA Form 10-2641. If the request is denied, the veteran will be notified of his appeal rights.

f. Approval for Issuance of the Special and/or Experimental Appliance. If approval for issuance of the special and/or experimental appliance is granted, the original VA Form 10-2641 will be returned to the field facility. On receipt of such approval, VA Form 10-2421 (ADP), Prosthetic Authorization for items or Services, or VA Form 2237 will be prepared in the usual manner, and a copy of the approval VA Form 10-2641 will be retained with the suspense copy of the procurement document as authority for procurement. It will be placed in the veteran's Consolidated Health Record upon receipt of the item and/or service.

g. Follow-up Procedures on All Pending Orders. All pending orders will be reviewed on a regular basis to determine that they are being processed in a timely fashion. Use of the IFCAP option List Purchase Card Transactions by Initiator ("LPCI") will identify obligated pending orders. Annotations to this list may include, but are not limited to: date of follow-up, person(s) contacted, general discussion, and changes in estimated delivery times.

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