"The review will address concerns that small shopkeepers may not be able to dispense medicines properly," Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told the Hindustan Times.

The notification was aimed at making drugs more readily accessible to people in isolated areas in small towns and villages. All the drugs being considered for sale at general stores are of the commonly used variety and have negligible risk from misuse or overdose.

Consumer groups allege that the ministry is reconsidering its notification under pressure from chemist associations opposed to the move. "Why should we assume retailers are less responsible than chemists? These are simple remedies for minor ailments and have a proven safety record. Chemists are opposing it not because of safety concerns but because they do not want to lose their profits to retailers," says Bejon Misra, CEO of the consumer group VOICE.

On their part, chemist associations are blaming multinational pharmaceutical companies of pressuring the government to allow sale through malls and general stores. "It will allow big pharmaceutical companies to advertise and promote their products everywhere, just like the cola companies are doing. This will lead to monopoly of advertised brands and prices will go through the roof," said Kailash Gupta, general secretary of the All Delhi Chemist Association.

Gupta is also skeptical about whether the proposal can be implemented in the many ma and pa shops across the country. "Chemists are pharmacists who know something about medicine while many salesmen cannot even read or write. An illiterate person cannot confuse rice for cola but he can give aspirin to an asthmatic and cause complications," he says.

Misra counters: "It is not that this does not happen with chemists. At the end of the day, chemists are shopkeepers selling products. How many times has a chemist asked for your medical history before giving you an OTC medicine?"

The notification comes with several safeguards such as storing medicines separately and not selling them after the expiry date.