Utah's Republican governor signed a law Tuesday making the state one of the few to allow women get birth control directly from a pharmacist.

Gov. Gary Herbert signed the law Tuesday, which will allow those 18 and older to get pills, the patch and other contraceptive devices through a pharmacy instead of visiting a doctor each time they want to obtain or renew a prescription.

Women will first have to fill out a form assessing their risks of taking birth control before getting the medication and will have to check in with a doctor every two years.

ADVERTISEMENT

The law allows pharmacists to issue the birth control under a standing prescription.

“I think five years ago, it wouldn’t have passed, but I think the world and Utah is changing,” Republican state Sen. Todd Weiler, who sponsored the measure, said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

“People are more accepting of the fact that these things make sense and they actually save the state money.”

Supporters say the law will improve access to contraception, leading to lower unintended pregnancies and lower Medicaid enrollment.

Similar laws have passed in California, Colorado and Oregon.