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Handling no-shows

PHOXBook pharmacy portal (rx.phoxbook.ca): How to handle patients who don't show up for their appointments.

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Written by William

What is a no-show?

A no-show occurs when a patient:

  • Doesn't arrive for their scheduled appointment

  • Doesn't cancel in advance

  • Cannot be reached to confirm attendance

When to mark as no-show

Wait a reasonable time (typically 15-20 minutes) past the appointment time before marking as no-show. This allows for:

  • Traffic delays

  • Patient running late

  • Late check-ins

Marking a no-show

Step 1: Find the appointment

Locate the missed appointment in:

  • Today's Appointments widget

  • Appointments calendar

Step 2: Mark as no-show

  1. Click on the appointment to open details

  2. In the Check in step of the Workflow on the right, click Mark as no-show

  3. In the Mark as no-show dialog, optionally add a Reason (optional), then confirm. The dialog explains: "The patient will be notified after a short delay. You can undo this action before the notification is sent."

  4. Status updates to No Show

Mark as no-show is greyed out once the patient is checked in, the appointment has started or is completed, and for appointments on a future day. On the Dashboard it is hidden for past days.

What happens next

When you mark an appointment as no-show:

  • Status changes to No Show (shown with a distinct status badge on the appointment)

  • Activity log records the no-show

  • Time slot becomes available for other bookings

  • Statistics are updated in Store Reports

Follow-up actions

Consider these follow-up steps:

  1. Contact the patient - Call or send a message

  2. Offer a new appointment - A no-show cannot be rescheduled; use Book again on the appointment

  3. Document the reason - If patient provides one

  4. Review patterns - Track repeat no-shows

Undoing a no-show

If the patient arrives after being marked as no-show:

  1. Open the appointment details again

  2. Under Other actions, click Undo no-show

  3. Status returns to the previous state; continue with check-in and service. Undoing before the delayed notice goes out also stops the notice

Best practices

  • Wait appropriate time before marking no-show

  • Attempt to contact patient before marking

  • Document any circumstances

  • Review no-show patterns in Store Reports

Need help?

Open the Help Center from the ? icon in the header, or press Shift + ? for keyboard shortcuts.

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