The idea of one day owning and operating his own pharmacy appeals to Kansas University pharmacy student Jace Moore.

“There’s not a bunch of overhead; you have a lot more autonomy,” he said. And, “It seems like you have a little more flexibility to do what’s best for the patient.”

Wednesday through Friday, Moore will be among 18 KU pharmacy students on a tour to visit independently owned pharmacies in central and western Kansas. KU’s chapter of National Community Pharmacists Association, a professional pharmacy student organization that promotes independent pharmacy as a career option, sponsors the annual trip.

The trips build relationships between students and pharmacy owners, with the hope that connections will lead to transitions of ownership and continuation of vital pharmacy services to Kansans, chapter co-adviser and Senior Associate Dean Gene Hotchkiss said in a news release from KU.

“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.”

Moore himself is from extreme southwestern Kansas — Moscow, population about 300.

Moscow is too small for its own pharmacy, he said, but other towns that might be too small to attract a chain pharmacy could support an independent one. Over winter break Moore is working at the independently owned El-Kan Drug in Liberal, about a 45-minute drive from Moscow.

Moore said he looks forward to networking and seeing how different independent pharmacies are run on this week’s trip.

Participating pharmacy students, along with Hotchkiss and Pharmacy Dean Ken Audus, are scheduled to visit businesses in Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Greensburg, Meade, Ulysses, Garden City, Scott City, Cimarron, Dodge City, Kinsley and Wichita.