Apoteket AB is a state-owned pharmaceuticals retailer in Sweden which formerly held a monopoly on the retail sale of medicines in the country. Formerly known as Apoteksbolaget, the company is a government owned enterprise reporting to the Ministry of Finance.[3]
History
The company was founded in 1970 under the name Apoteksbolaget AB.[4] In 1998 the name was changed to the current one, Apoteket AB.[5]
On 1 July 2009, the government monopoly was lifted, allowing the opening of private pharmacies in Sweden.[6] The Swedish government cited the fact of Sweden being the only democracy, along with Cuba and North Korea, to retain its monopoly as an argument for its abolishment.[7]