SERP (DETAILS) (USD $)	3 Months Ended					9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
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 amended on October 3, 2011 (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 became effective as of June 1, 2011. Retirement benefits are calculated based on a percentage of a SERP participant’s average earnings, beginning with the 2009 calendar year. 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. The completion of the pending merger with Valeant (see Note 2) will constitute a change in control of the Company under the SERP, upon which each participant’s accrued retirement benefit will become fully vested and distributable on the 30th day following the merger.
Other Comprehensive Income Defined Benefit Plan Net Prior Service Cost Credit Arising During Period Before Tax			$ 800,000		$ 33,800,000
Defined Benefit Plan Amortization Of Prior Service Cost Credit	1,200,000			1,200,000		3,629,000	1,599,000
Deferred Tax Assets Tax Deferred Expense Compensation And Benefits Postretirement Benefits					12,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan Service Cost	300,000			300,000		700,000	300,000
Defined Benefit Plan Interest Cost	400,000			400,000		1,200,000	400,000
Defined Benefit Plan Amortization Of Gains Losses	1,200,000					1,200,000
Defined Benefit Plan Assets For Plan Benefits Noncurrent	24,000,000					24,000,000
Pension And Other Postretirement Defined Benefit Plans Liabilities Noncurrent	37,800,000					37,800,000
Defined Benefit Plan Purchases Sales And Settlements	$ 400,000	$ 12,100,000	$ 400,000	$ 9,800,000