Long-term Obligations - Credit Facility (Details) - Subsequent Event	Oct. 13, 2016 USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding	$ 300,000,000.0
Line Of Credit Facility Additional Borrowing Capacity	300,000,000.0
Line of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	500,000,000.0
Debt Covenant, Minimum Consolidated EBITDA	$ 200,000,000.0
Debt Covenant, Consolidated Leverage Ratio	3.00%
Base Rate \| Minimum \| Line of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	0.75%
Base Rate \| Maximum \| Line of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	1.50%
Eurodollar \| Minimum \| Line of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	1.75%
Eurodollar \| Maximum \| Line of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	2.50%

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCurrentBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of the amount outstanding under the credit facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13433-108611

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13476-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityFairValueOfAmountOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Consolidated leverage ratio that must be maintained in order to be in compliance with debt covenants.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vrtx_DebtCovenantConsolidatedLeverageRatio
Namespace Prefix:	vrtx_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Minimum consolidated EBITDA that must be maintained in order to be in compliance with debt covenants.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vrtx_DebtCovenantMinimumConsolidatedEBITDA
Namespace Prefix:	vrtx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increased borrowing capacity available in the future.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vrtx_LineOfCreditFacilityAdditionalBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	vrtx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_BaseRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_EurodollarMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: