Vaccine Tracking System (VTrckS)

Grantee Advisory Committee

July 15, 2008 Minutes

PARTICIPANTS

Claudia Aguiluz (CA), Maribeth Bartz (TX), Don Blose and Paula Boatner
(OK), Shawn Box (ME),Kathy Fredrickson (AZ), Dan Hopfensperger (WI),
Marianne Koshak, delegate for Houston Hurlock (CO), Mary Beth Kurilo
(OR), Elaine Lowrey (CO), Lisa Moffatt (OR), Joni Reynolds (CO), Sherry
Riddick (WA), Gary Rinaldi (NY), Charlotte Sims-Higgins (MO), Angela
Sorrells-Washington (NJ), Bob Swantson (MI), Maria Volk (CA), Barbara
Laymon (CTR), Therese Hoyle (CTR), Jack Nemecek (CDC), Doug Correll
(CDC), Janet Kelly (CDC)

DISCUSSION POINTS

Approval of July 1, 2008 Minutes

After clarifying a few points in the minutes, Sherry Riddick motioned to
approve the minutes, and Elaine Lowery seconded. Approved by all.

Discussion -- New Ordering System

Shawn Box (ME) reviewed his previous comments on the new ordering system
model, which does not show shipment data information coming back to the
grantee (Action Item #5). Maine currently takes a McKesson Excel file
and loads it into its IIS. There is a need to improve the shipping log
information flow between McKesson and grantees. Committee members
acknowledged that the shipping log information from McKesson's file that
is currently being e-mailed to grantees needs to flow automatically into
VTrckS when VTrckS goes live and the Committee would need to define the
minimum information required to support this need. The transport
mechanism will also need to be defined. The Committee determined that it
will revisit this discussion once the VTrckS business requirements are
solidified.

Status of Action Items

-   Action Item #1. Committee approach to gathering input from all
    grantees.

    -   Therese discussed the survey monkey tool and its potential use
        by this Committee as a means for surveying the grantees. Using
        survey monkey enables GAC to define standardized questions.
        Answers would be collected by Therese and shared with the
        Committee. If there are not enough responses to the survey
        questions, Committee members agreed to place telephone calls to
        solicit more input.

        -   Angela Sorrells - Washington motioned to recommend that
            survey monkey be used as a survey tool and that Committee
            members would follow up with grantees that do not respond to
            the survey questions. Elaine Lowery seconded. Approved by
            all.

-   Action Item #2. Issue format for gathering grantee input

    -   Adding a comments section to issue format (survey monkey tool)
        was discussed and approved by Committee

-   Action Item #3. Formal documentation for review

    -   Committee members received the use case documentation.
        Additional documentation will be provided when available.

-   Action Item #4. NDC vs. Brand issue

    -   In the current requirements, grantee monitoring (spend plans and
        reports) is at the brand level. Generally, each vaccine has one
        or more brands, made by different manufacturers. Ordering and
        inventory management is at the presentation level; this refers
        to the packaging. Most brands have 1 or more presentations.

    -   A question was posed to Committee members on whether grantee
        monitoring should be changed to be at the presentation level. A
        one-page background document with benefits, risks, and questions
        to consider was provided to the Committee. After some
        discussion, the Committee requested additional information so
        that the issue could be fully understood.

        -   How much work would it be at the State level if they were to
            do grantee monitoring at the presentation level?

        -   What is the purpose and business benefit from CDC's
            perspective for making this change to doing Grantee
            Monitoring at the presentation level?

        -   Some Committee members voiced concern on gathering this
            information at the provider level and other members were
            going to research the possibility before making a
            recommendation.

-   Action Item #5. Shipment data information not flowing back to
    grantees

    -   Maine and other grantees utilize an automated process to import
        the McKesson excel spreadsheet into their systems to
        pre-populate provider inventories. The Committee determined that
        it will revisit this issue once the VTrckS business requirements
        are solidified.

-   Action Item #6. Provider inventory submissions -- a VTrckS
    requirement

    -   Committee members agreed that they needed to gather information
        on the processes and means that are currently being used by each
        grantee.

        -   First survey will ask grantees if they require an ending
            inventory when orders are placed by providers.

        -   Shawn Box motioned for the Committee to collect the
            different versions of ending inventories electronic (screen
            shot) and paper and that the Committee could assist in
            creating one form to be used in VTrckS. Angela Sorrells -
            Washington seconded. Approved by all.

New Action Item(s)

-   Action #7: Determine process for communicating to grantees via
    minutes and / or using VMBIP website. To be discussed on next call.

Logistics for September 9-10 meeting in Atlanta

-   E-mail with logistics to be sent out later this week.

Next Call -- August 12, 2008, 2:30pm -- 3:30pm EST

Committee Approved 7/29/2008

This document can be found on the CDC website at:

<http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vmbip/downloads/vtrcks-min/gac-min-07-15-08-508.doc>