One of the major differences between working in a retail pharmacy versus a hospital pharmacy
concerns who you are working with. In a hospital/health system setting, pharmacy techs usually
interact with nurses and doctors, while working in a retail setting allows you to communicate
directly to the public. Both roles require effective communication skills, but working in a retail
pharmacy would involve more customer service. On the other hand, both work environments are
similar in that a pharmacy technician will always be overseen by a Pharmacist and the set of laws
a pharmacy tech must adhere to will be the same. For example, regardless of whether you are a
pharmacy tech in a retail or health setting, you are not authorized to provide medical advice to a
patient or customer.