For the first time ever Wednesday, women in Connecticut were able to buy oral contraception directly from a pharmacist without having to go to a doctor first.

"This is an important milestone," said State Sen. Ryan Fazio, of Greenwich, who co-authored a bill that was signed into law last year allowing specially trained pharmacists to prescribe the medication.

The new legislation took effect Wednesday after the Connecticut General Assembly's Regulatory Review Committee - and Attorney General William Tong - signed off on it.

"This is a policy that's been tried in several other states, and where it's been rolled out, it's lowered cost, improved access and reduced unplanned pregnancies," Fazio said.

Paola Cruz, a 33-year-old legal assistant who works in Bridgeport, said the new law is "a game changer."

"It saves me time and money - and I don't feel judged. I think it's an amazing, and long overdue, advancement," Cruz said.

But Fazio says there's a catch.

"It may be several months before a significant number of pharmacists across the state receive the special training they'll need from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection to actually prescribe oral contraception to women," Fazio said.