Colorado women won’t have to make monthly trips to the pharmacy to get their prescription contraceptives anymore, thanks to Rep. Brittany Pettersen’s two-year effort.

The Senate passed House Bill 1186 on a 22-11 vote and heads to Gov. John Hickenlooper. The measure passed the House 50-14 on March 21. The Senate sponsor was Don Coram, R-Montrose, who co-sponsored the bill in the House last year before being named to an open Senate seat.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to continue to have the conversation and you’ll eventually get people to listen,” Pettersen said Monday.

She said the bill will be a huge convenience when women don’t have to go to a pharmacy every month, but it will also curb unplanned pregnancies for women who forget or get too busy to go.

But it further empowers women to be in charge of their reproductive decisions, Pettersen said.

“It’s a small change that’s going to have a huge impact,” she said.

When the bill was heard in committee in the house, co-sponsor Lois Landgraf, R-Colorado Springs, said reducing unintended pregnancies means reducing abortions.

The change won’t happen immediately the bill states it takes effect on Jan. 1, 2019.