Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Details)					3 Months Ended									9 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Aug. 25, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 27, 2017 USD ($)	Jan. 03, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 18, 2013	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)		Jul. 01, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)		Oct. 01, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 02, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 02, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) segments		Oct. 01, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)		May 01, 2014
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets					$ 4,621,500,000			$ 4,417,200,000						$ 4,621,500,000			$ 4,417,200,000
Fair Value, Assets, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 Transfers, Amount					0									0			0
Net gain on reduction of contingent consideration														$ 17,000,000
Number of reporting units | segments														7
Average growth rate								(2.00%)		(2.00%)			(3.40%)
Change in financial assets					2,600,000			$ (1,100,000,000)		$ 377,400,000	$ 910,800,000	$ 204,400,000		$ 24,200,000		$ 1,492,600,000
Royalty stream discrete period														20
Senior notes					3,255,800,000			5,373,100,000						$ 3,255,800,000			5,373,100,000
Net proceeds from sale of business and other assets														46,700,000		58,500,000
Measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis: | Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Definite-lived intangible assets(3)					11,500,000	[1]	$ 11,500,000	758,000,000	[1]					11,500,000	[1]		758,000,000	[1]
RX
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets							0
Definite lived asset impairment														18,500,000
Net proceeds from sale of business and other assets			$ 15,000,000
Specialty Sciences [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Gain on sale of unit		$ 17,100,000
CHCI
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets								2,300,000,000									2,300,000,000
Goodwill impairment charge												130,500,000
Net proceeds from sale of business and other assets	$ 15,100,000
Omega | Brands
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of intangible assets										575,700,000		$ 273,400,000
Definite lived asset impairment																$ 290,900,000
Elan
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Effective date of acquisition				Dec. 18, 2013
Public Bonds and Private Placement
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Senior notes					2,600,000,000			4,600,000,000						2,600,000,000			4,600,000,000
Public Bonds and Private Placement | Level 1
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of fixed-rate long-term debt					2,700,000,000			4,600,000,000						2,700,000,000			4,600,000,000
Retail Bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long term debt					655,800,000			773,100,000						655,800,000			773,100,000
Unamortized debt premium					35,600,000			49,800,000						35,600,000			49,800,000
Retail Bonds | Level 2
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of fixed-rate long-term debt					699,200,000			825,000,000						699,200,000			$ 825,000,000
Tysabri®
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Percent of royalty revenues generated by specific agreement																			12.00%
Minimum | Tysabri®
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Percent of royalty revenues generated by specific agreement																	18.00%
Net sales																	$ 2,000,000,000
Maximum | Tysabri®
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Percent of royalty revenues generated by specific agreement																	25.00%
Net sales																	$ 2,000,000,000
Accounts Receivable [Member] | Measured on a recurring basis | Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Change in fair value					(2,900,000)									(42,100,000)
Royalty Pharma contingent milestone payments					$ 143,200,000		$ 145,800,000	0						$ 143,200,000			$ 0
Goodwill | Minimum
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Discount rate																	7.00%
Long-term growth rates																	2.00%
Goodwill | Maximum
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Discount rate																	14.50%
Long-term growth rates																	3.00%
Royalty Pharma
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Sale price of divestiture - cash plus non-cash		2,850,000,000
Net proceeds from sale of business and other assets		2,200,000,000
Proceeds from sale of business, maximum milestone payments in year two		250,000,000
Proceeds from sale of business, maximum milestone payments in year four		$ 400,000,000
Volatility rate					30.00%		30.00%
Rate of return					8.06%		8.05%
Royalties receivable								$ 84,400,000									$ 84,400,000
BCH - ROW [Member] | CHCI
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charge										$ 675,600,000

[1] (3) As of July 1, 2017, definite-lived intangible assets with a carrying amount of $31.1 million were written down to a fair value of $11.5 million. As of December 31, 2016, definite-lived intangible assets with a carrying amount of $2.3 billion were written down to a fair value of $758.0 million. Included in this balance are indefinite-lived intangible assets with a fair value of $364.5 million and $674.2 million that were reclassified to definite-lived assets at April 3, 2016 and October 2, 2016, respectively.