Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Nov. 15, 2010	Nov. 19, 2007	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011 years	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Sep. 15, 2008	Nov. 15, 2010 Minimum [Member]	May 03, 2011 Maximum [Member]	Nov. 15, 2010 Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Machinery And Equipment [Member] years	Dec. 31, 2011 Buildings And Improvements [Member] years	Dec. 31, 2011 McKesson Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 McKesson Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 McKesson Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Cardinal Health, Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Cardinal Health, Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Cardinal Health, Inc [Member]	Sep. 15, 2008 Cash Convertible Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 New Warrants [Member]	Sep. 15, 2008 Old Warrants [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Percentage of accounts receivable due from three customers					40.00%	36.00%
Working capital facilities, weighted average interest rate					5.40%
Maturity period of the agreement (years)					3
Number of customers representing a certain percentage of accounts receivable balances due					3
Total allowances for doubtful accounts					$ 18,900,000	$ 23,900,000
Assets' estimated service lives, minimum, years												3	15
Assets' estimated service lives, maximum, years												19	39
Depreciation expense					152,800,000	132,500,000	124,300,000
Estimated useful lives of intangible assets, minimum, years					5
Estimated useful lives of intangible assets, maximum, years					20
Provision for chargebacks					763,000,000	751,800,000
Accrued sales allowances					147,938,000	166,997,000
Consolidated net revenues, sales percentage														11.00%	11.00%	10.00%	13.00%	11.00%	10.00%
Annual rate of preferred stock dividend	6.50%	6.50%
Preferred stock convertible into common shares	125,234,172								125,234,172		152,785,775
Awards excluded from computation of earnings per share					5,500,000	3,500,000	8,100,000
Sale of cash convertible notes																				575,000,000
Aggregate amount of warrants issued								43,200,000
Exercise price of warrants issued																					$ 30.00	$ 20.00
Warrants exchanged in amended transaction			41,000,000
Cash paid per warrant for amendment			3.66
Cash paid for amendment of warrant agreement			150,000,000
Weighted average impact of amendments entered into					3,200,000
Repurchase of common stock approved by the board of directors										350,000,000
Stock repurchased during period, shares				14,800,000
Stock repurchased during period, value				350,000,000	349,998,000
Accounts receivable from securitization					$ 300,000,000