Income Taxes (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Consolidated income before provision for income taxes [Abstract]
U.S.	$ 259,309	$ 142,929	$ 141,069
Foreign	85,933	83,840	66,544
Income before provision for income taxes	345,242	226,769	207,613
Current [Abstract]
Federal	70,727	14,723	45,761
State	2,425	2,245	3,825
Foreign	45,851	56,973	27,450
Current income tax expense (benefit)	119,003	73,941	77,036
Deferred [Abstract]
Federal	12,918	17,756	(2,558)
State	656	582	212
Foreign	(8,980)	(18,840)	(3,128)
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)	4,594	(502)	(5,474)
Provision for income taxes	123,597	73,439	71,562
Deferred tax assets [Abstract]
Inventory differences	3,490	3,796
Foreign tax credit and other foreign benefits	42,128	25,149
Stock-based compensation	13,772	9,674
Accrued expenses not deductible until paid	49,258	37,992
Foreign currency exchange	10,947	16,927
Net operating losses	10,561	11,656
Capitalized research and development	10,535	14,746
Other	648	568
Gross deferred tax assets	141,339	120,508
Deferred tax liabilities [Abstract]
Exchange gains and losses	7,504	3,300
Pharmanex intangibles step-up	18,379	12,179
Amortization of intangibles	15,840	14,457
Foreign outside basis in controlled foreign corporation	32,592	16,081
Other	20,867	11,431
Gross deferred tax liabilities	95,182	57,448
Valuation allowance	(10,522)	(11,611)
Deferred taxes, net	35,635	51,449
Deferred tax assets, net, classification [Abstract]
Net current deferred tax assets	40,475	32,867
Net noncurrent deferred tax assets	26,302	29,661
Total net deferred tax assets	66,777	62,528
Deferred tax liabilities, classification [Abstract]
Net current deferred tax liabilities	2	7
Net noncurrent deferred tax liabilities	31,140	11,072
Total net deferred tax liabilities	$ 31,142	$ 11,079
Effective income tax rate, continuing operations, tax rate reconciliation [Abstract]
Income taxes at statutory rate (in hundredths)	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Non-deductible expenses (in hundredths)	12.00%	16.00%	10.00%
Extraterritorial income tax credit (in hundredths)	0.00%	(339.00%)	0.00%
Other (in hundredths)	68.00%	62.00%	(63.00%)
Effective income tax rate, continuing operations (in hundredths)	35.80%	32.39%	34.47%