Ahead of International Women's Day on Sunday, the Victorian Labor government gave the green light for chemists to supply the pill to women older than 18 who have not had a doctor's consultation.
Women have been eligible to have the medication resupplied by certain Victorian pharmacies since 2023 as part of a trial.
But the state program will be expanded from July 1, so women can get their first script and supply at one of 850 participating pharmacies.
Trained pharmacists will still be required to conduct a consultation and outline any risks.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the move would benefit younger women and those in rural and regional Victoria.
"It's not only saving women time and saving women money - it's opening up access," she told reporters at a Northcote pharmacy in Melbourne's north on Friday.
Trained pharmacists in Queensland and Tasmania can already prescribe hormonal contraceptives, including the pill, without a prior doctor's consultation.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia committee member Grace Chong, who practices in regional Queensland and Melbourne, said contraceptives made up about 70 per cent of her consults.
"That's giving access to regional people who would have to drive an hour and a half to the nearest town to see a GP," she said.
Trials across the nation also allow women to access a re-supply of the contraceptive pill or receive treatment for uncomplicated infections from trained pharmacists.
But a two-year North Queensland pilot that spurred the statewide trials was criticised by doctors after hundreds of patients reportedly suffered complications from misdiagnosis of urinary tract infections.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Victorian chair Anita Munoz said Friday's announcement prioritised political expediency and industry lobbying over evidence-based public health.
"At a time when the government faces a challenging political environment in an election year, it has chosen a shortcut on women's health care instead of investing in the evidence-based solutions that actually improve access," she said.
In 2020, the federal health department estimated 81 per cent of Australian women aged 16 to 49 used some form of contraception.
More than a quarter of women who regularly use contraception choose the pill, according to 2024 research by Women's Health Victoria.
The advocacy body's chief executive Sally Hasler lauded the expansion of the Victorian program but said the medication would cost more without a doctor's script as it would not be subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
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