Britain to offer teens OTC birth control

London -- Teenage girls in Britain will be able to buy birth control pills from pharmacists without a prescription starting next year.

The pilot program is aimed at bringing Britain's teen pregnancy problem under control, The Times of London said Thursday.

Women will be able to obtain the Pill for free after a private consultation with a pharmacist to assess any health risks. Pharmacists will be allowed to give the Pill to girls under 16 without a parents' consent if there appears to be a risk of the girl becoming pregnant, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.