First over-the-counter birth pill approved in United States

Opill will become available in pharmacies and supermarkets as well as online.

The US drug regulator approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the country, it announced Thursday, dramatically widening access to contraception for women as the United States grapples with reproductive rights.

The US Food and Drug Administration (AP)

"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," said Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in a statement announcing that Opill will become available in pharmacies and supermarkets as well as online.