This article explains how to add Time Between Appointments on a calendar in MedMe. This setting automatically reserves space after appointments so pharmacy teams can manage pace during busy periods without manually blocking every gap.
Table of Contents
Overview
Time Between Appointments lets pharmacy teams add a short gap after appointments on a specific calendar. Unlike a one-off blocked period, these rules apply whenever appointments fall within the date, time, and repeat settings configured.
Common uses include:
Spacing appointments during flu season or other high-volume periods
Giving staff a short recovery window between consecutive bookings
Reducing calendar congestion without changing appointment durations
The same settings can be applied on Appointment Types, so specific services can be targeted if desired.
Please Note: Patients do not see time between appointments as blocked periods on the booking portal. Available start times simply adjust so the gap fits within the calendar's availability.
Time Between Appointments vs Blocked Times
Feature | What it does | Best used for |
Blocked Times | Removes a specific window from availability (for example lunch, a meeting, or a holiday). | Known periods when the calendar should not accept any bookings. |
Time Between Appointments | Adds a gap after appointments that occur during a configured window. | Controlling spacing between appointments without changing the appointment duration itself. |
Tip: For a full lunch break or day off, use Blocked Times. For spacing appointments every 5-20 minutes during a busy afternoon, use Time Between Appointments.
How to Add Time Between Appointments on a Calendar
Select the ellipses (three dots) icon beside the account name.
Select Settings.
Select Calendars.
Choose the calendar that needs spacing between appointments.
On the General tab, scroll to the Time Between Appointments section.
Select Add.
In the modal, configure:
Time Between Appointments — duration in minutes (typically in 5-minute increments)
Date (or Start Date / End Date when the rule repeats)
Start Time and End Time, or All Day
Repeats and weekdays, if the rule should recur
Select Save.
For Instance: A 10-minute gap from 3:00 PM–6:00 PM on weekdays means each appointment booked in that window leaves a 10-minute gap before the next bookable start time on that calendar. Adding time between appointments reduces availability — for example, a flu shot with a 5-minute duration and 5 minutes between appointments takes up 10 minutes on the calendar.
How to Edit, Filter, or Delete Time Between Appointments
Open the same calendar under Settings → Calendars.
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 duration, dates, times, or repeats, or the delete icon to remove a single rule.
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
How Time Between Appointments Affects Booking
Available times for patients and pharmacy staff already account for these gaps.
The appointment duration shown to patients does not increase; the gap is scheduling space, not part of the patient-facing duration.
If more than one rule applies to the same moment, MedMe uses the longer duration — values are not added together.
Rules apply to the calendar they are configured on. Other calendars are unaffected unless they have their own time-between rules.
Reminder: Adding time between appointments reduces the number of bookable slots in that window. Review availability after enabling these rules during peak seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can time between appointments extend past closing?
No. These gaps must fit within the calendar's available hours.
Do these rules appear as dark blocks on the calendar like blocked times?
No. They are scheduling rules tied to appointments. They are managed in calendar settings and affect which start times are offered; they are not the same as manually blocked periods.
What if both calendar and appointment-type Time Between Appointments are set?
Both can apply. MedMe accounts for the configured rules so bookable start times remain realistic. Prefer configuring spacing where it best matches the workflow — per calendar for room-wide pacing, or per appointment type for service-specific needs.
Is this the same as Preparation Time?
No. Preparation Time is configured on an Appointment Type and reserves space before a booking starts. Time Between Appointments reserves space after bookings, and can be set on calendars or appointment types.
Conclusion
Calendar Time Between Appointments helps pharmacies control appointment spacing during busy periods without relying on manual blocked times for every gap. Configure rules once for the date and time windows that need more breathing room, then update or remove them as demand changes.
For support:
Email care@medmehealth.com
Use live chat in the MedMe platform