This article explains how to configure Preparation Time and Time Between Appointments on an Appointment Type in MedMe. These settings reserve time before and after services so calendars reflect real pharmacy workflow — such as vaccine prep, documentation, or short recovery gaps — without manual blocking for every booking.
Table of Contents
Overview
Appointment Type buffer settings help pharmacies match booking availability to clinical and operational needs:
Preparation Time reserves a gap before the appointment starts (for example pulling a vaccine or reviewing the chart).
Time Between Appointments reserves a gap after the appointment ends (for example documentation, cleanup, or paced booking during peak hours).
Both settings can be managed from the Appointment Type's General settings. For seasonal setup across many services, Time Between Appointments can also be added to multiple Appointment Types at once using Bulk Edit.
Please Note: Patients do not see an explanation of these buffers on the booking portal. They only see start times that already fit preparation time, appointment duration, and time between appointments within available calendar hours.
Preparation Time vs Time Between Appointments
Setting | When it applies | How it is configured |
Preparation Time | Before the booking starts | Simple duration dropdown (for example 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes). Applies ongoing for that Appointment Type. |
Time Between Appointments | After the booking ends | One or more rules with duration, date/time window, optional repeats, and which calendars the rule applies to. Can also be added in bulk across selected Appointment Types. |
For Instance: A flu shot with a 5-minute appointment duration and 5 minutes added between appointments takes up 10 minutes on the calendar for scheduling purposes.
How to Set Preparation Time
Select the ellipses (three dots) icon beside the account name.
Select Settings.
Select Appointment Types.
Search for and open the Appointment Type to update.
On the General tab, find the Preparation Time section.
Choose the number of minutes needed to prepare before the appointment.
The change saves when the new value is selected.
Tip: Set Preparation Time to 0 minutes if no prep gap is needed. Preparation Time applies the same way for single and group bookings.
How to Add Time Between Appointments
Open the Appointment Type under Settings → Appointment Types.
On the General tab, scroll to Time Between Appointments.
Select Add.
In the modal, configure:
Time between appointments — duration in minutes
Date (or Start Date / End Date when repeating)
Start Time and End Time, or All Day
Repeats and weekdays, if needed
Applies to Calendar(s) — choose specific assigned calendars, or All current and future assigned calendars
Select Save.
Please Note: For group appointments, MedMe adds one time gap at the end of the group — not a separate gap after every patient in the group.
Reminder: Adding time between appointments reduces availability. Use shorter gaps or narrower time windows if the pharmacy still needs high booking capacity.
How to Edit, Filter, or Delete Time Between Appointments
In the Time Between Appointments section, use the Active / Inactive filter to switch views:
Active shows current rules.
Inactive shows expired rules.
Select the edit icon on a row to update it, or the delete icon to remove it.
On the Inactive view, use Delete all when available to remove expired times in bulk (confirmation required).
List columns typically include:
Time — duration
Period — date and time window
Repeats — recurrence pattern
Applies to Calendar(s) — which calendars the rule covers
Rules marked Always on apply continuously until edited or removed.
How to Bulk Add Time Between Appointments
Pharmacy teams can add the same Time Between Appointments rule to multiple Appointment Types at once using Bulk Edit. This is especially useful for seasonal setup — for example applying the same flu-season spacing to several vaccine services.
Step 1: Select Appointment Types
Go to Settings → Appointment Types.
Use the checkboxes to select the Appointment Types that should receive the same rule.
Open Bulk Edit. The panel title shows how many types are selected (for example Bulk Edit 5 Appointment Types).
Step 2: Choose the setting
In the setting selector, choose Set time between appointments for all selected appointment types.
The form describes the action: Add a time buffer that will apply to all selected appointment types.
Step 3: Configure the rule
Select Add.
Configure the same fields used for a single Appointment Type:
Time between appointments — duration in minutes
Date (or Start Date / End Date when repeating)
Start Time and End Time, or All Day
Repeats and weekdays, if needed
Applies to Calendar(s) — calendars available here are the combined calendars assigned across the selected Appointment Types
Select Save in the modal. The rule appears as a preview row (Time / Period / Repeats) and is not applied yet.
Optionally use the edit or delete icons on the preview row to adjust or clear the pending rule before submitting.
Step 4: Submit
Select Submit to apply the rule to the selected Appointment Types.
Nothing is saved until Submit is selected.
Tip: Bulk Edit adds a new Time Between Appointments rule. It does not edit or replace existing rules already configured on each Appointment Type. After bulk add, open individual types if older rules should be edited or removed.
Please Note: If none of an Appointment Type's assigned calendars are included in Applies to Calendar(s), that type is skipped and will not receive the buffer. MedMe shows a warning such as: None of [Appointment Type]'s assigned calendars are selected — it won't get a buffer.
Reminder: Bulk Edit for this setting adds Time Between Appointments only. Preparation Time is still configured one Appointment Type at a time on the General tab.
How These Settings Affect Booking
Bookable start times must fit preparation time + appointment duration + time between appointments within calendar availability.
Patient-facing appointment duration does not include the buffer minutes.
Preparation Time and Time Between Appointments work together with calendar availability and blocked times.
If overlapping time-between rules apply, MedMe uses the longer duration for that window — values are not stacked.
Multi-service bookings use a consolidated buffer approach rather than doubling gaps for every service in the same visit.
Warning: These settings change which times appear as available. After enabling them for high-volume services (for example flu or COVID vaccinations), review the calendar and booking portal to confirm capacity still meets pharmacy needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Preparation Time the same as changing appointment duration?
No. Appointment duration is the patient-facing length of the service. Preparation Time is scheduling space reserved before that service starts. Learn more about durations in How to Manage Appointment Durations.
Can Time Between Appointments replace blocked times?
Not always. Use Time Between Appointments to pace bookings for a service. Use Blocked Times to close a calendar for lunch, meetings, or holidays. See How to Set Blocked Times in MedMe.
Do these settings apply on every calendar?
Preparation Time applies for the Appointment Type whenever that service is booked. Time Between Appointments can be limited to selected calendars using Applies to Calendar(s).
Can Preparation Time be updated in bulk?
No. Bulk Edit supports adding Time Between Appointments across selected Appointment Types. Preparation Time is set individually on each Appointment Type's General tab.
Does Bulk Edit overwrite existing Time Between Appointments rules?
No. Bulk Edit adds a new rule to each selected Appointment Type. Existing active or inactive rules remain until they are edited or deleted on that Appointment Type.
Why don't patients see the buffer on their appointment confirmation?
Buffers are operational scheduling rules. Patients see a normal appointment start time and duration; MedMe simply avoids offering start times that would overlap reserved prep or post-appointment gaps.
What if the pharmacy also has calendar Time Between Appointments enabled?
Both calendar-level and appointment-type Time Between Appointments settings can affect availability. The label is the same in both places. Configure the level that best matches the need: calendar-wide pacing vs service-specific prep and time-between rules.
Conclusion
Preparation Time and Time Between Appointments help MedMe calendars reflect real pharmacy workflows — from clinical prep to paced booking during peak demand. Set them per Appointment Type, use Bulk Edit to add shared time-between rules across services, and revisit them as seasons and staffing change.
For support:
Email care@medmehealth.com
Use live chat in the MedMe platform