Prescription birth control will soon be available over-the-counter in California, Oregon

Over-the-counter prescription birth control will be available in California and Oregon after a new method of prescription was approved in both states.

The move is aimed to dissuade unintended pregnancies by making it more accessible to everyone and without a doctor's prescription.

"I feel strongly that this is what's best for women's health in the 21st century, and I also feel it will have repercussions for decreasing poverty because one of the key things for women in poverty is unintended pregnancy," said Knute Buehler, Oregon State Representative who sponsored the law, as reported by the New York Times.

The outlet adds that women who want to get the birth controls need only ask it directly from pharmacists who will give them a prescription. It is believed to be more affordable and more efficient than going to the doctor's first.

The laws in Oregon and California have a slight difference, but pharmacists in two states will undergo training. According to Medical Daily, women over 18 may be prescribed with birth control and pills without a prescription from their doctor but underage teens will need to get one beforehand. The Oregon law will be implemented by Jan. 1 next year.

In California, pharmacists must undergo more rigorous training. In addition to being able to prescribe over-the-counter birth control, they will also be able to prescribe medications for travel, give routine vaccinations to children, order laboratory tests and prescribe smoking cessation aids. It is unknown when the law will be implemented in the state.

There are only a few steps involved in getting the direct contraceptives prescription from pharmacists. Women must undergo a quick screening process and fill out a questionnaire with their health and medical information. In any case, contraceptives will be paid by insurers.

The news comes with ambivalence as the new laws may be in the way of making other contraceptive aids become more accessible.

"My basic tenet is there should be nobody between the patient and the pill," said Dr. Mark DeFrancesco, president of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "I'm afraid we're going to create a new model that becomes a barrier between that and over the counter. I worry that it's going to derail the over-the-counter movement."

Inquisitr reports that the accessibility of birth control methods may make women more lax in getting regular physical tests and cancer screenings. However, there is a section in Oregon's law which prohibits pharmacists from refilling prescription contraceptives to women who have not visited their doctors within three years of getting their birth control.