DEA awards e-commerce contract

The Drug Enforcement Administration announced Nov. 26 that it has awarded a $6 million, two-year contract to PEC Solutions Inc. for follow-on phases in the development and deployment of electronic commerce projects for the DEA's Office of Diversion Control.

PEC will provide systems engineering, policy development and management consulting services to build a pubic-key infrastructure solution for two DEA e-commerce initiatives — the Controlled Substances Ordering System and Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances — according to the Fairfax, Va.-based company.

This will allow the DEA to replace paper-based processes with secure electronic communications for pharmaceutical companies and prescription-drug providers. The systems will allow for business-to-business transactions of controlled substances; an estimated 800,000 transactions per year are made among distributors, manufacturers, wholesalers and pharmacies. It also will enable government-registered practitioners to transmit electronic prescriptions directly to participating pharmacies.

In other PEC news, the company announced Nov. 20 that it has acquired Troy Systems Inc., a provider of information assurance solutions and other services to the federal government.

PEC paid $15.3 million in cash for Troy Systems, which specializes in information management, including information assurance and electronic security, health information systems and management services.

Troy Systems, based in Fairfax, Va., has more than 300 employees with facilities in nine states and Washington, D.C. Troy's clients include the departments of Defense and State, and many civilian agencies.