AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill Monday allowing pharmacists to dispense “morning after” contraceptives, saying it will help to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.

The law, signed during a ceremony in the State House, “marks another milepost in the advancement of reproductive rights for women in Maine,” the governor said.

The new law will allow emergency contraceptive pills to be dispensed without the usual doctor’s prescription. Maine becomes the sixth state to pass such a law.

Sen. Lynn Bromley, D-South Portland, said the bill she co-sponsored won bipartisan support.

“Regardless of the position my colleagues had on legal abortion, we all recognized the need to address the issue of unintended pregnancy and perhaps as a result change the future for these women,” Bromley said.