Is cerave retinol serum from your local drugstore over the counter the same in terms of concentration/effectiveness of a prescription tretinoin/retinol cream from your dermatologist? whats the difference? thank you! (which i never get to say here?

It's estimated that it only contains 0.01 % of retinol. The prescription strength is much stronger. The weakest prescription for it contains 0.25% and increases up to 1% retinol.

First of all, no, they are not the same at all. Second, retinol is not the same as tretinoin. Retinol is OTC and is minimally effective, in my experience. Tretinoin is a prescription, and much more effective, though also more irritating in some cases. Your dermatologist can tell you which strength of tretinoin will work best on your particular skin type.