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Underwrite a Deal

The Target

Verdict

  • WatchOwnership or licensing is restricted here

    North Dakota alone requires majority pharmacist ownership; every state requires a licensed pharmacist-in-charge on the permit.

  • Watch3 PE firms already consolidating this industry

    Guardian Pharmacy Services, Tarrytown Expocare Pharmacy, SIG Partners. Expect competition on price, and a plausible exit if you build something bigger.

  • GoodDSCR after your salary is 2.29

    Above the 1.25 rule of thumb.

  • GoodAsking 3.0x, inside the cited band

    Priced where this industry trades.

  • GoodIndustry charges off at 3.68% against 4.20% across all industries

    SBA acquisition loans in this industry fail less often than average.

The Number That Should Set Your Offer

At $500,000 of SDE, a $100,000 owner salary, $200,000 of cash, and a 10% seller note, the most this business can carry at a 1.25 DSCR is $2,561,235. The ask sits $1,061,235 under it.

Structure

Equity (your cash)
$200,000
Seller note
$150,000
7(a) loan
$1,150,000
Annual debt service
$174,813
DSCR
2.29
Implied multiple
3.00x
Cited band
1.69x–3.75x SDE

Context

Deals financed (FY2020 through FY2025)
352
Industry median loan
$1,100,000
Industry charge-off
3.68% (all: 4.20%)
State median loan
State FY2025 loans

The median is a loan, not a price: equity and seller notes sit on top. Charge-off rates come from the seasoned cohort only; FY2020+ loans are too young to have defaulted. Rates are a lower bound (open loans can still fail), so read the ordering, not the level.

Licensing: Non-pharmacist buyers keep a compliant pharmacist-in-charge and, in North Dakota, a pharmacist-majority structure or a different state.

The full guide for this industry