Electronic Refill Requests: Approve, Deny, and Ignore
Last updated: June 17, 2026
Electronic refill requests allow pharmacies to request medication refills directly in Canvas. When reviewing an electronic refill request, you can approve it, deny it, or ignore it depending on the clinical decision and whether a response should be sent back to the pharmacy.
What you'll learn
What each refill request action does
When to approve, deny, or ignore a request
How duplicate refill requests should be handled
What to do when a request remains in the queue
Available Actions
Electronic refill requests may include the following actions:
Approve — Approves the refill request and sends an approval response back to the pharmacy.
Deny — Denies the refill request and sends a denial response back to the pharmacy.
Ignore — Dismisses the refill request from the queue without sending a response back to the pharmacy.
Duplicate refill request? If the request is a duplicate and does not need a pharmacy response, use Ignore when that option is available.
Approve a Refill Request
Use Approve when the refill request should be accepted and the pharmacy should receive an approval response.
Step 1: Open the request
Open the electronic refill request.
Review the medication, patient, and request details.
Step 2: Approve and submit
Select Approve.
Complete any required fields or review steps.
Submit the approval.
After approval, Canvas sends the approval response back to the pharmacy.
Deny a Refill Request
Use Deny when the refill request should not be approved and the pharmacy should receive a denial response.
Common reasons to deny a refill request
The medication should not be refilled.
The medication has been discontinued.
The patient needs an appointment or additional review before a refill can be provided.
The request was sent to the wrong provider or should be handled outside of the current workflow.
Step 1: Open the request
Open the electronic refill request.
Review the medication, patient, and request details.
Step 2: Deny and submit
Select Deny.
Enter or select the appropriate denial reason, if prompted.
Submit the denial.
After denial, Canvas sends the denial response back to the pharmacy.
Ignore a Refill Request
Use Ignore when the refill request can be dismissed and no response needs to be sent back to the pharmacy.
This is most useful for duplicate refill requests or requests that no longer require action.
When to use Ignore
The request is a clear duplicate.
The medication has already been refilled another way.
The pharmacy does not need a response for this request.
You want to remove the request from the refill request queue without approving or denying it.
What happens when you ignore a request
The refill request is dismissed from the queue.
No response is sent back to the pharmacy.
The request no longer requires action in Canvas.
Don't see Ignore? The Ignore option may not appear for every refill request. If Ignore is not available, review the request and choose the appropriate available action, such as approving or denying the request.
Duplicate Refill Requests
Duplicate refill requests can occur when a pharmacy sends the same request more than once, or when a medication has already been refilled through another workflow while the original pharmacy-initiated request remains pending.
If the request is a duplicate and does not require a response to the pharmacy, select Ignore when that option is available.
Important: Refilling a medication separately does not automatically clear the original pharmacy-initiated refill request. If the original request remains in the queue, it still needs to be approved, denied, or ignored.
Choosing the Right Action
Approve
Use when the refill should be accepted.
A pharmacy response is sent.
Deny
Use when the refill should not be accepted and the pharmacy should be notified.
A pharmacy response is sent.
Ignore
Use when the request is a duplicate or no longer needs action, and no pharmacy response is needed.
No pharmacy response is sent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Requests remaining in the queue
Q: The refill request is still showing after the medication was refilled. What should I do?
A: If the medication was refilled separately, the original electronic refill request may still remain in the queue. Open the original request and choose the appropriate action: Approve, Deny, or Ignore.
Ignore option
Q: Why don't I see the Ignore option?
A: Ignore may only appear when Canvas determines the request can be dismissed without sending a formal response to the pharmacy. If the option is not available, choose the appropriate available action based on the request.
Duplicate requests
Q: I received multiple requests for the same medication. Which one should I use?
A: Review the request details to confirm whether the requests are duplicates. If a duplicate request does not need a pharmacy response, select Ignore when available.
Keywords: electronic refill requests, refill request, approve refill, deny refill, ignore refill, duplicate refill request, pharmacy response, medication refill
Categories: Clinical Documentation & Commands, Medications, ePrescribing
Roles: Providers, Clinical Staff