A pharmacy has opened in the remote north Queensland indigenous community of Yarrabah for the first time in 20 years.

Residents in Australia's largest Aboriginal community will have easy access to much-needed medication for the first time in nearly two decades.

The remote community of about 3000 people at Yarrabah, just east of Cairns, now has a pharmacy.

Previously, the nearest pharmacy was a one-hour round trip to Edmonton.

A high demand meant it often took more than a day for scripts to be processed.

"For a community this size to not have timely and affordable access to essential and life-saving medications was something we wanted to help address," said Leo Maltam, part owner of the Edmonton pharmacy.

The partnership between the Yarrabah community health service and regional pharmacies will help improve recovery times for acute illnesses.

"There will be no delay in patients accessing their medications," Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services medical officer, Dr Adam Brownhill, said.

"(It will) ensure that clients with chronic conditions do not miss out on their regular medications."

The pharmacy, officially opened on Wednesday, is part of a larger medical centre development.