BUSINESS COMBINATIONS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended						0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended											0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 1.375% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2017	Dec. 31, 2012 2.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes due in 2032	Dec. 31, 2012 1.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes due in 2033	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis	Dec. 31, 2012 Medicis	Dec. 31, 2012 Medicis	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis Galderma	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis Minimum	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Medicis 1.375% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2017	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis 1.375% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2017	Dec. 31, 2012 Medicis 2.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes due in 2032	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis 2.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes due in 2032	Dec. 31, 2012 Medicis 1.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes due in 2033	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis 1.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes due in 2033	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis Development of dermatology products for treatment of bacterial vaginosis	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis Development of several aesthetics programs	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis In-licensed products	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis Product brands	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis Patents	Dec. 11, 2012 Medicis Corporate brands
Business Combinations
Per Share Consideration (in dollars per share)							$ 44.00
Par value per share of common stock (in dollars per share)							$ 0.014
Fair Value of Consideration Transferred
Number of common shares of Medicis outstanding as of acquisition date	303,861,272	306,371,032					57,135,000
Fair value of common shares outstanding as of the date of the acquisition							$ 2,513,946,000
Number of stock options of Medicis cancelled and exchanged for cash							3,152,000
Fair value of number of stock options of Medicis cancelled and exchanged for cash							33,052,000
Number of outstanding restricted shares cancelled and exchanged for cash							1,974,000
Fair value of number of outstanding restricted shares cancelled and exchanged for cash							31,881,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred							2,578,879,000
Restructuring, integration and other costs	344,387,000	97,667,000	140,840,000				77,300,000		162,952,000
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents							169,583,000
Accounts receivable							81,092,000
Inventories							145,157,000
Short-term and long-term investments							626,559,000
Income taxes receivable							40,416,000
Other current assets							74,622,000
Property, plant and equipment							8,239,000
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D							1,390,724,000														633,429,000	491,627,000	224,985,000	40,683,000
Acquired IPR&D	546,876,000	531,304,000					153,817,000												130,900,000	22,900,000
Other non-current assets							616,000
Current liabilities							(453,909,000)
Long-term debt, including current portion							(777,985,000)							(546,668,000)		(231,111,000)		(206,000)
Deferred income taxes, net							(205,009,000)
Other non-current liabilities							(8,841,000)
Total identifiable net assets							1,245,081,000
Goodwill							1,333,798,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred							2,578,879,000
Fair value of accounts receivable acquired							81,100,000
Gross contractual amount of trade accounts receivable acquired							81,100,000
Entry to record inventory at its estimated fair value							109,300,000
Proceeds from liquidation of investments							615,400,000
Weighted-Average Useful Lives							10 years														12 years	10 years	5 years	14 years
Risk-adjusted discount rate											10.00%	11.00%
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)				1.375%	2.50%	1.50%							1.375%	1.375%	2.50%	2.50%	1.50%	1.50%
Acquisition-related costs	78,604,000	32,964,000	38,262,000				55,400,000			39,200,000
Revenues of acquiree since acquisition date								51,200,000
Net loss of acquiree since acquisition date, net of tax								$ (135,600,000)