Birth control pills

I was wondering... do I need a consultation with the doctor to get on the pill or do I just need to go to the pharmacy and get it? I’m foreign and I don’t know how the process of getting it works here in the U.S. I’ve never been on the pill before but I wanna get it to regulate cramps and flow, if that’s possible. And also I want even more protection other than condoms.

Anonymous because I don’t wanna be judged. Thank you all for your time.