**5. Conclusions**

The period from 1997 to the present has been one of transition for pharmacy across all settings in the United States, with increased demands for patient safety, access to safe and effective medication therapy, and value for what payers obtain from medications. Pharmacy technicians have been an essential component of these transitions, with pharmacies and pharmacists increasingly depending on them to support the delivery of high-quality patient care. This study provides evidence that compensation levels for the majority of pharmacy technicians in the United States have not increased in line with changes in the US consumer price index, nor have they increased in line with their increased responsibilities. It is important that the compensation, and particularly the hourly wage levels, of pharmacy technicians continue to be evaluated. This evaluation is essential to maintaining and supporting this important segmen<sup>t</sup> of the pharmacy workforce.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, D.P.Z. and T.B.; methodology, D.P.Z.; validation, D.P.Z. and T.B.; formal analysis, D.P.Z.; writing—original draft preparation, D.P.Z.; writing—review and editing, D.P.Z., T.B. and S.P.D.; project administration, D.P.Z.; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Acknowledgments:** Portions of this manuscript were previously presented at the 2018 American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN (USA). Portions were also presented in research seminars at Northeastern University, University of Minnesota, South University, Auburn University, and the University of Mississippi. The authors would like to thank everyone who provided input in these sessions.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
