SERP (DETAILS) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Defined Benefit Pension Plans And Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure Abstract
Defined Benefit Plans General Information	On June 24, 2011, the Company’s Compensation Committee adopted the Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, as such plan may be amended from time to time (the “SERP”), a non-qualified, noncontributory, defined benefit pension plan that provides supplemental retirement income for a select group of officers, including the Company’s named executive officers. The SERP is effective as of June 1, 2011. Retirement benefits are calculated based on a percentage (which ranges from 1.25% - 10%) of a SERP participant’s average earnings (base salary plus cash bonus or incentive payments) during any three calendar years of service (regardless of whether the years are consecutive), beginning with the 2009 calendar year multiplied by the participant’s years of service up to a specified cap on service (which ranges between five and twenty years). But in no event will an executive officer’s retirement benefit exceed 50% of his or her average earnings, and for those participants who are not executive officers, their retirement benefits will not exceed 25% of average earnings. The SERP retirement benefit is intended to be paid to participants who reach the “normal retirement date,” which is age 65, or age 59 ½ with twenty years of service, subject to certain exceptions. A SERP participant vests in 1/6th of his or her retirement benefit per plan year, (which runs from June 1 to May 31), effective as of the first day of the plan year, and becomes fully vested in his or her accrued retirement benefit upon (1) the participant’s normal retirement date, provided that the participant has at least fifteen years of service with the Company and is employed by the Company on such date, (2) the participant’s separation from service due to a discharge without “cause” or resignation for “good reason” (as such terms are defined in the participant’s employment agreement, or in the absence of such employment agreement or definitions, in the Company’s Executive Retention Plan), or (3) a “change in control” of the Company. A SERP participant accrues his or her retirement benefit based on (x) the participant’s number of years of service with the Company (including prior years of service), divided by (y) the number of years designated for such participant’s tier (which ranges from five to twenty years).
Other Comprehensive Income Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Credit Arising During Period Before Tax	$ 33,771,000
Defined Benefit Plan Amortization Of Prior Service Cost Credit	2,797,000	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan Service Cost	500,000
Defined Benefit Plan Interest Cost	800,000
Defined Benefit Plan Amortization Of Gains Losses	100,000
Defined Benefit Plan Assets For Plan Benefits Noncurrent	9,900,000
Pension And Other Postretirement Defined Benefit Plans Liabilities Noncurrent	35,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan Purchases Sales And Settlements	9,800,000
Defined Benefit Plan Amounts That Will Be Amortized From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss In Next Fiscal Year	4,800,000
Defined Benefit Plan Expected Future Benefit Payments In Year Three	19,000
Defined Benefit Plan Expected Future Benefit Payments In Year Four	229,000
Defined Benefit Plan Expected Future Benefit Payments In Year Five	$ 1,237,000