Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisors recommended a decades-old birth control pill be sold without a prescription. The unanimous vote by the panel Wednesday paved the way for Perrigo’s Opill to possibly become the first birth control pill available over the counter in the U.S. 

If given the green light, sales of Opill could begin by late 2023, according to the drug maker. Many health experts displayed confidence that women all of all ages could self-administer the drug according to directions without seeing a health provider first.

“In the balance between benefit and risk, we’d have a hard time justifying not taking this action,” said Maria Coyle, an Ohio State University pharmacist, who chaired the panel. “The drug is incredibly effective, and I think it will be effective in the over-the-counter realm just as it is in the prescription realm.”

The recommendation is not binding and the FDA is expected to make a final decision later this summer. 

Currently all contraceptive pills in the U.S. require a prescription. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.