Segment Information (Reconciliation Of Segment Information To Total Consolidated Information) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Third party	$ 6,129,825,000		$ 5,450,522,000		$ 5,092,785,000
Intersegment
Total revenues	6,129,825,000		5,450,522,000		5,092,785,000
Segment profitability	1,005,449,000		721,584,000		523,352,000
Generics Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Third party	5,579,331,000		5,022,554,000		4,677,813,000
Intersegment	2,480,000		40,116,000		22,081,000
Total revenues	5,581,811,000		5,062,670,000		4,699,894,000
Segment profitability	1,640,135,000		1,398,264,000		1,322,999,000
Specialty Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Third party	550,494,000		427,968,000	[1]	414,972,000	[1]
Intersegment	70,005,000		61,772,000	[1]	40,757,000	[1]
Total revenues	620,499,000		489,740,000	[1]	455,729,000	[1]
Segment profitability	208,215,000		122,694,000	[1]	70,400,000	[1]
Generic products sales formerly third party now intersegment contributed to total revenue					46,800,000
Corporate / Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Third party				[2]
Intersegment	(72,485,000)	[2]	(101,888,000)	[2]	(62,838,000)	[2]
Total revenues	(72,485,000)	[2]	(101,888,000)	[2]	(62,838,000)	[2]
Segment profitability	$ (842,901,000)	[2]	$ (799,374,000)	[2]	$ (870,047,000)	[2]

[1] Intersegment sales by Specialty increased from 2009 to 2010 due to the fact that certain generic products previously sold to third parties by Specialty are now sold to Mylan subsidiaries in the North America region of the Generics Segment who, in turn, sell the products to third parties. These generic products contributed $46.8 million to total revenues of the Specialty Segment in 2009.

[2] Includes certain corporate general and administrative and research and development expenses; net charges for litigation settlements; certain intercompany transactions, including eliminations; amortization of intangible assets and certain purchase accounting items; impairment charges; and other expenses not directly attributable to segments.