The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for Opill, a birth control pill, to be sold over-the-counter. This groundbreaking decision marks the first nonprescription contraceptive pill available in the country.

Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, the director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, expressed the significance of this development, stating, “Today’s approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily oral contraceptive will be an available option for millions of people in the United States. When used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy.”

Opill, classified as a “mini-pill,” exclusively utilizes the hormone progestin.