Women nationwide will no longer need a doctor’s prescription for birth control pills — by next year, they will be able to pick them up off the shelves at any drug store.

On Thursday the Food Drug and Administration (FDA) approved the hormonal birth control pill Opill for over-the-counter (OTC) sale, the New York Times reported. By early 2024, the United States will join over 100 different countries that offer over-the-counter birth control pills, NBC News noted.

“This is a monumental decision,” Dr. Melissa Simon, a professor of clinical gynecology at Northwestern University, told NBC.

The move has long been supported by health organizations like the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians as a way to remove barriers to accessing contraceptives for women of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, ending a federal “right” to abortion, the hope is that OTC birth control pills will help reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies. Currently, 50 percent of pregnancies in the United States are unintended, according to the Times. (Read more from “Over-The-Counter Birth Control Pills Coming to a Store Near You in 2024” HERE)

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