SDG 8, or Sustainable Development Goal 8, is one of the 17 global goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations. The objective of SDG 8 is to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, as well as full and productive employment and decent work for all. It includes a variety of targets and indicators designed to address diverse aspects of employment, labor rights, and economic prosperity.

Employer satisfaction refers to the degree to which an employer is satisfied with their workforce, business operations, and overall organizational performance. Various factors, including workforce productivity, employee engagement, regulatory environment, and market conditions, can influence this satisfaction.

There are a number of relationships between employer satisfaction and SDG 8 including: 
1) Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8.1): This goal focuses on promoting sustainable economic growth, higher levels of productivity, and technological innovation. Employer satisfaction can be closely tied to economic growth and productivity, as satisfied employers are more likely to invest in their workforce, leading to increased efficiency and innovation.
2) Full and Productive Employment (SDG 8.2): Ensuring that people have access to full and productive employment is a key aspect of SDG 8. When employers are satisfied with their employees' performance and the work environment, they are more likely to create and maintain jobs, contributing to achieving this goal.
3) Equal Pay for Equal Work (SDG 8.5): Employer satisfaction might be influenced by fairness in compensation practices. When employers provide equal pay for equal work regardless of gender or other factors, it can lead to a more satisfied workforce and support the broader goal of reducing gender inequalities.
4) Labor Rights and Safe Working Environments (SDG 8.8): Ensuring that workers have access to safe and secure working environments is an important aspect of SDG 8. Employers who prioritize workplace safety and uphold labor rights are likely to have more satisfied employees and contribute to this goal.
5) Global Partnership for Sustainable Development (SDG 17): This goal emphasizes the importance of partnerships for achieving the SDGs. Employer satisfaction can be positively influenced by collaboration between employers, employees, governments, and civil society to create supportive policies and practices that align with SDG 8 objectives.
6) Employee Well-being and Mental Health: A satisfied workforce is often a more productive and engaged one. Prioritizing employee well-being and mental health can contribute to higher job satisfaction, better performance, and reduced turnover rates, aligning with the spirit of SDG 8.

The connection between employer satisfaction and SDG 8 is that fostering a positive work environment, investing in employee well-being, ensuring fair compensation and labor practices, and promoting inclusive economic growth can collectively contribute to both employer satisfaction and the achievement of the targets outlined in SDG 8.

The government aims to develop a heath care system that is focused to provide care to people by utilizing all possible resources. In order to achieve this goal, it requires various health care professionals to work hand in hand to meet the health needs of the patients. For that to happen, the government must work with the key professionals to use the available resources of the health system. One of the health care professionals is the pharmacist. Pharmacists must be recognized as members of the health care team and as a professional that are expert in drug therapy management.   Pharmacists provide drug therapy management services that run between the pharmacist, the patient, physicians and other members of a patient’s healthcare team. Pharmacists are responsible for aiding customers by compounding and/or dispensing prescription medications, providing pharmaceutical information to healthcare professionals, monitoring customers’ drug therapies to avoid interactions with other medications, and providing pharmaceutical expertise to customers on the safe use of medications.

Satisfaction level of employers on job performance of graduates is a measure of how pleased or contented the employers are with the work and performance of the graduates they hired. It is usually based on various aspects or criteria such as knowledge and understanding of the job, general skills, specialized skills, personal qualities, communication skills, judgment and decision making, initiative and flexibility, cooperation and teamwork, etc. Satisfaction level of employers on job performance of graduates can be expressed in different ways such as ratings, percentages, and feedbacks among others.

There are different ways to measure job performance of pharmacists working in various fields of practice. To standardize the practice of pharmacy profession, the Philippine Pharmacists Association, Inc., together with the Technical Working Group (TWG), a validation of pharmacist experts, and stakeholders in the pharmacy sector, published the Philippine Practice Standards for Pharmacists (PhilPSP) Manual which covers five major areas of pharmacy practice in the country including 1) academic pharmacy; 2) regulatory pharmacy; 3) manufacturing pharmacy; 4) community, hospital, and institutional pharmacy; and 5) public health pharmacy. The manual includes a list of competency standards, elements, performance criteria, and evidence. The "competency standard" describes a specific function to be performed by a professionally qualified pharmacist; "element" lists actions and processes that are expected to be performed in demonstrating a specific competency; "performance criteria" are evaluative statements that specify the activities or tasks that must be completed in order to carry out specific processes; and "evidence" consists of outputs, outcomes, and/or examples pertinent in achieving the competency standard.

The global challenge of investing in the health workforce at the country level has been highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a projected deficit of approximately 18 million healthcare professionals globally by the year 2030. This shortage is expected to be most pronounced in countries with lower and middle-income economies. The current shortage in the health workforce can be attributed to a lack of adequate investment in education and employment opportunities, as well as insufficient wages. The pharmacy workforce, which ranks as the third-largest health workforce worldwide, consists of both regulated professionals, namely pharmacists, and additional support personnel, often referred to as pharmacy assistants, who may or may not be regulated. In accordance with the World Health Organization's forecast, the most recent global report released by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) indicates that nations with limited financial resources have exhibited the least progress in expanding the capabilities of pharmacists. Consequently, there is a potential for a growing disparity in capacity among countries based on income, which is expected to persist and further escalate over time. This report emphasizes the necessity of implementing a needs-based approach, specifically in low-income and/or developing countries, in order to enhance and reshape national strategies for workforce development (Meilianti, et. al, 2021)

Furthermore, the pursuit of universal health care (UHC) is of utmost importance, with the objective of guaranteeing that all individuals have equitable access to necessary and high-quality healthcare services, without experiencing financial burdens. The achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) can be facilitated through the optimization of primary health care (PHC) services, as emphasized during the Global Conference on Primary Health Care and the subsequent Astana Declaration. The global demand for primary health care services is experiencing a notable upward trend. Pharmacists serve as the primary point-of-care for communities in nearly all nations. The enhancement of pharmacists' involvement in delivering pharmaceutical care, specifically within primary care contexts, will facilitate the attainment of greater equity in terms of communities' access to medications, pharmaceutical expertise, and preventive healthcare services. There is a growing imperative to ensure the presence of an adequate, highly skilled, and motivated pharmacy workforce that possesses the ability to adapt, demonstrate flexibility, and deliver enhanced pharmaceutical care to promote improvements in population health.

Researches conducted by different universities on Satisfaction Level of Employers on the Job Performance of graduates is important because it can help the university assess the quality and relevance of its educational programs and curriculum. It can also help the university enhance the competencies and employability of its graduates by providing them with feedback and guidance on how to improve their knowledge, skills and personal qualities. Furthermore, it can help the university establish a strong relationship with the employers and the industry by meeting their expectations and needs

Therefore, this study will be conducted to determine the satisfaction of employers with the performance of their employees who are graduates of the Mariano Marcos State University from 2017-2022.

The researchers aim to produce significant data regarding the level of satisfaction of employers on the job performance of the graduates from 2017-2022. Specifically, the study will be able to provide:

1.     Publication: Research article

2.     People (Researchers and Graduates): Graduates Database

3.     Product: Survey Questionnaire; information as input in curriculum development

4.     Patent (IP): none

5.     Partnerships: List of local and foreign employers of BS Pharmacy graduates