STOCKHOLM (Thomson Financial) - Plans by Sweden's centre right government to end the 35 year monopoly of the state owned pharmaceutical retail chain Apoteket have been approved by Parliament.

"Parliament gave the government the green light to begin the restructuring process for Apoteket," it said in a statement.

The changes are expected to take effect by Jan 1, 2009.

The opposition Social Democrats, Left and Greens voted against the proposal.

Apoteket is currently the sole provider of prescription and non-prescription medication in Sweden, meaning that Swedes wanting to buy a headache tablet or other over-the-counter products must go to one of Apoteket's stores.

The government expects both domestic and international interest in the Swedish pharmacy market.

In a first step, the government will create a new parent company that will own all the shares in Apoteket and which will be in charge of selling a number of Apoteket's stores to private players. simon.richardson@thomsonreuters.com sjr/ra COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior