Pharmacy students will visit independent pharmacies

LAWRENCE — Sixteen students from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy will join Dean Ken Audus and Senior Associate Dean Gene Hotchkiss on a three-day trip across Kansas and into parts of Oklahoma and Missouri to visit 12 independent pharmacies and their owners Wednesday, Jan. 6, through Friday, Jan. 8.

The annual trip is sponsored by the KU chapter of the National Community Pharmacists Association (KU–NCPA), a professional pharmacy student organization that promotes independent pharmacy as a career option.

Hotchkiss, who serves as the group's adviser, said the visits, or road trips, as the students call them, help build relationships between pharmacy students and pharmacy owners in Kansas. The hope is that those connections will lead to transitions of ownership and a continuation of vital pharmacy care services to the people of Kansas. 

“Independent community pharmacies are a critical health care resource for rural communities,” Hotchkiss said. “In many instances, in addition to traditional prescription services, they provide a broad scope of ancillary services, including medical supplies, durable medical equipment, and respiratory support supplies, equipment and oxygen.”

Students spend close to an hour at each location and speak with the owners on topics such as store management, prescription reimbursements, customer relations, financial expectations and more.

The group will make stops in Garnett, Iola, Chanute, Fredonia, Parsons, Pittsburg, Columbus, Baxter Springs, Oswego and Galena as well as El Dorado Springs, Missouri, and Miami, Oklahoma.

Itinerary:

Jan. 6       

8:30 a.m. AuBurn Pharmacy, 429 N. Maple, Garnett

10:30 a.m. Iola Pharmacy, 109 East Madison, Iola

1 p.m. Cardinal Drug, 103 East Main St., Chanute

2:15 p.m. HealthMart Pharmacy, 628 Madison, Fredonia

4 p.m. Bowen Pharmacy, 1519 Main, Parsons

Jan. 7:       

             8:30 a.m. Lindburg Drug North, 2720 N. Broadway, Pittsburg

10 a.m. Evan’s Health Mart Drug, 116 West Pine, Columbus

11:30 a.m. Osborn Drugs, 11 West Central, Miami, Oklahoma

2:30 p.m. Wolkar Drug, 1920 Military, Baxter Springs

            4 p.m. Oswego Drug, 413 Commercial, Oswego

Jan. 8      

8:30 a.m. Four States Pharmacy, 1605 Highway K-66, Galena

11 a.m. Evans Drug, 209 East U.S. Highway 54, El Dorado Springs, Missouri.