I'm not sure if it was the way I conveyed myself this time but Dr. McLean really understood me as a patient. Now, I'm sure addiction is different for everyone but he really left me feeling happy within reason. If that isn't a job well done when dealing with an addict I don't know what is. I left with the dosage I needed to function but I was set restrictions that would impede any possibility of harm to myself.

Submitted Aug. 23, 2020

Dr. McLean was very supportive and knowledgeable in helping me to stop Oxycontin use over a period of time. I underwent a number of joint replacement surgeries with long wait and recovery times in between due to severe and prolonged joint failure and ended up with a big addiction.
His knowledge, support, and non judgemental approach provided me with the ability to completely halt all use of Oxycontin. We worked as a "team" in my experience. I brought willingness and determination and he provided so much support and patience and together we reached my goal. I am very grateful.

Submitted March 27, 2019

There are much better doctors at RAAC, avoid him like the plague, always late, sometimes well over an hour or more and see one of the better doctors that are on time for their appointments

Submitted Jan. 16, 2018

I have read some of the reviews of Dr McLean and I think some people have the wrong impression of him in some areas.
Firstly, when it comes to being punctual...he is on call a great deal of the time or is available for phone consults from other doctors needing advice, or is in a prolonged intake with another patient or in a lengthy appointment wth a patient because he is thorough and there is so much he needs to uncover and discuss...and therefore it is important to be patient. Sure it can be frustrating to have to wait for an hour or two to see him but I've learned that it's just the way it is and not to take it personally. He is pulled in many directions and does the best he can I'm sure.
I've been seeing him for half a year now at the new Rapid Access Addiction Clinic at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver.
And I only want to see him. There are other doctors there but I will make sure I can see him. Sometimes he's not in the clinic and not in for weeks. Again, that's just the way it is. He's got other duties as well as the RAAC.
I found Dr McLean to be utterly pragmatic in his treatment of me. He's non-judgemental, he is caring, he is intelligent, he knows addiction. He never forced me to do the treatment he suggested. He left it to me to decide. And when I didn't or couldn't commit to it he never passed judgment on me. He understood why. He does listen. I am a different type of patient from the the addictions patients he usually deals with. However I still am using the same types of drug he sees patients for.
My issue is with severe pain for years and years due to disease that can no longer be treated. I was on massive quantity of opiates. Prescribed by another specialist.
When the opioid crisis hit it became became necessary to come down off the high dosages. It was no longer acceptable to be on such dosages.
Although I did the difficult work myself, Dr McLean helped me along and guided me. Never being some hard ass crusader type. Again he is very understanding and does have compassion for patients. He did suggest a replacement therapy but I could not attempt it as I have gotten worse with my condition since seeing him.
Had I been addicted to a drug or drugs I know I would had gotten the same treatment from Dr McLean.
I like him very much.
One thing that is true but again when you've been in the system as long as I have you just come to realize it's not you, it's not personal and never take it personally. It's just how it is
Because he sees so many patients he needs to refamiliarize himself with some of the details of your case or your history. That's understandable. He can't possibly remember every single detail from your history or file.
So you have to replay some of the parts for him sometimes. And he has to look at the file on you again.
No big deal.
And there have been days where he may not have been as sociable or as warm and fuzzy as he usually is.
Hey he's human. Give him a break. I'm sure his work can be stressing.
All in all I give Dr McLean credit. He's one good doctor. And I only see him if at all possible. So that should tell you something.

Submitted May 25, 2017

Dr McLean was arrogant and cold. He was completely disengaged and lacked any interest in my issues. It is hard to understand why such a person would go into addictions as he lacks empathy. His ego is easily threatened when you ask him any questions.

Submitted Feb. 25, 2017

I have been seeing Dr mclean for 2 years now , he is arrogant honestly does not seem to be interested or actually care about patients asks how you are but does not really listen to what you have to say , I wish he would not ask me I am a very sincere person on 1 occasion he was very nice and spent time with me but rarely , I have issues with the common medications prescribed so I am a problem child I guess , the Guy is almost never on time and most of the time he is late by Min 15 min sometime as much as 45 min , His staff are great people , Dr mclean Lowers my dose of meds often without informing me even Changed types of meds it frustrated pharmacy I go to dropping doses as much as 30 mg per week leaves me ill but again he does not care I guess the best description would be he is Largely not genuine .

BD

Submitted Dec. 16, 2016

This wonderful Doctor saved my girls life. His compassion and knowledge is outstanding. He is the model of what needs to be understood with addiction

Submitted Oct. 27, 2016

I had a terrible experience with this doctor . I saw Dr. Mark McLean 4.5 years ago and still feel traumatized by the experience. He was cold, uncaring, arrogant and ignorant about that which he is supposed to have expertise.

I had to see the doctor to complete the intake process to the Daytox – a drop-in clinic. I was withdrawing from a doctor-prescribed benzodiazepine and was simply looking for support in my taper and recovery. My family doctor had good things to say about this place and these people. I had seen the nurse a week earlier and she was very knowledgeable and understanding and I was told I would be supported and not forced to do anything I was not comfortable with, that I was doing a sensible, gradual, self-directed tape (as per the Heather Ashton Manual- the authority on how to withdraw from benzodiazepines: http://benzo.org.uk/manual/index.htm) and could continue this . She was well acquainted with benzodiazepine withdrawal, so I assumed the doctor would be too. I was 9 months into a gradual self-directed taper.

Well, everyone at the Daytox was not on the same page. The doctor advised me to immediately stop the clonazepam and replace it with a very high dose of gabapentin, another drug. This treatment is contraindicated for benzo withdrawal and can make it a whole lot worse. I asked how many he'd helped with this unproven method. He said one person. He cannot understand why I will not do this. I am deathly afraid of ever ingesting another brain-disabling drug, already in a very bad way thanks to doctors and their drugs, in a withdrawal known to be worse than coming off of heroin. All I wanted was to continue tapering off the clonazepam, not introduce another unknown drug, have some control, the little that I still had. I explained this and he just stared at me cold and blank. I had to excuse myself to the bathroom I was so upset. I returned and he told me then there was nothing he could do for me, so I left, just bewildered, as another nurse who had been present the whole time, looked at me sympathetically.

I returned to the Centre a few days later to continue with the acupuncture and I was told by staff I had to leave, they were closing my file. Since I would not follow the doctor's instructions, I could not partake in any of their services and should find help elsewhere. Wow.

I ended up completing the taper (six month later) and continue to recover without any support from a health”care” professional but rather with the support from the good folks on an online forum benzobuddies.org and my husband.

Submitted July 29, 2016

If you catch him on a good day he is great. However, if you deal with him enough you will find he is very stubborn, arrogant, hypocritical, and even cruel. The impression I get from him is that he doesn't want to view you as an equal, on a human to human basis, he isn't interested in your opinion on treatment changes or on what kind of treatments you would like to try instead of his. He has broken promises on two occasion, and I have caught him in contradictions on more than a few occasions. The same thing has happened to me, when I've missed an appointment. He promised he would fax the suboxone script to the pharmacy, but did not. When the pharmacist called him about it he simply didn't acknowledge it and hung up. She was furious and kind enough to fill an emergency script for that night. He is has been 80% of the time fine and helpful even. But the other 20% is pure toxicity, and damaging to my recovery.

Submitted Feb. 24, 2016

I agree with everyone's character assessment of Dr. Mclean in all it's positives, but I have to also agree with what one person said that he can "react quite unreasonably" and be a little tactless at times. Ex: I missed an appointment to refill my suboxone script due to work obligations. He was not due to be back in the office for 3 days. Through the nurse at Daytox requested that he fax a script to my pharmacist just for the 3 days until I can come in for an appointment. He refused and insisted I have to see him first. That now means I will be without my withdrawal meds for 3 days! On the verge of calling the old dealer to score a 3 day supply of Percs. Good job doc!

Submitted May 6, 2015