SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended															3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended									12 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013 segments	Dec. 31, 2013 segments	Dec. 31, 2012 facility	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011 Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel ("IDP-111")	Dec. 31, 2011 Fluorouracil cream ("5-FU")	Dec. 31, 2013 Ezogabine Retigabine	Dec. 31, 2013 Suncare and skincare brands	Dec. 31, 2012 Suncare and skincare brands	Dec. 31, 2013 Opana	Dec. 31, 2012 Dermaglow	Dec. 31, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant")	Dec. 31, 2013 B&L	Dec. 31, 2013 Developed Markets	Dec. 31, 2012 Developed Markets	Dec. 31, 2011 Developed Markets	Sep. 30, 2013 Developed Markets Ezogabine Retigabine	Dec. 31, 2013 Developed Markets B&L, Medics, Obagi, Eisai, OraPharma, J&J North America, QLT	Dec. 31, 2012 Developed Markets Dermik, Ortho Dermatologics, iNova, OraPharma, Medics	Dec. 31, 2013 Developed Markets B&L, Legacy Valeant, Medics Fair Value Adjustment to Inventory and Identifiable Intangible Assets	Dec. 31, 2012 Developed Markets Valeant, Dermik, Ortho Dermatologics, iNova, Medicis, and OraPharma Fair Value Adjustment to Inventory and Identifiable Intangible Assets	Dec. 31, 2011 Developed Markets Valeant, Dermik, iNova, Ortho Dermatologics Fair Value Adjustment to Inventory and Identifiable Intangible Assets	Dec. 31, 2013 Developed Markets B&L	Dec. 31, 2013 Developed Markets Obagi Medical Products, Inc	Dec. 31, 2013 Developed Markets Eisai	Dec. 31, 2013 Developed Markets OraPharma, QLT, J&J North America, and University Medical	Dec. 31, 2013 Emerging Markets	Dec. 31, 2012 Emerging Markets	Dec. 31, 2011 Emerging Markets	Dec. 31, 2013 Emerging Markets B&L, Natur Produkt, Gerot Lannach, Atlantis	Dec. 31, 2012 Emerging Markets Sanitas, iNova, Probiotica, PharmaSwiss, Gerot Lannach	Dec. 31, 2013 Emerging Markets B&L, Legacy Valeant, Medics Fair Value Adjustment to Inventory and Identifiable Intangible Assets	Dec. 31, 2012 Emerging Markets Valeant, PharmaSwiss, Sanitas, iNova, Gerot Lannach Fair Value Adjustment to Inventory and Identifiable Intangible Assets	Dec. 31, 2011 Emerging Markets Valeant, PharmaSwiss and Sanitas Fair Value Adjustment to Inventory and Identifiable Intangible Assets	Dec. 31, 2013 Emerging Markets B&L	Dec. 31, 2013 Emerging Markets Obagi Medical Products, Inc	Dec. 31, 2013 Emerging Markets Natur Produkt	Dec. 31, 2013 Emerging Markets Probiotica, J&J ROW, Atlantis and Gerot Lannach	Dec. 31, 2013 Total Segment	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Segment	Dec. 31, 2011 Total Segment	Dec. 31, 2013 Corporate	Dec. 31, 2012 Corporate	Dec. 31, 2011 Corporate
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	2	2
Number of operating segments		2
Segment reporting information
Total revenues		$ 5,769,605,000	$ 3,480,376,000	$ 2,427,450,000										$ 4,293,216,000	$ 2,502,264,000	$ 1,762,535,000		$ 2,051,000,000	$ 679,000,000								$ 1,476,389,000	$ 978,112,000	$ 664,915,000	$ 415,600,000	$ 310,900,000
Total segment profit		(863,669,000)	(116,025,000)	159,559,000										573,232,000	815,902,000	740,316,000				1,080,400,000	506,400,000	144,800,000					92,995,000	68,958,000	(24,929,000)			320,500,000	180,500,000	136,800,000					666,227,000	884,860,000	715,387,000	(165,666,000)	(138,200,000)	(180,008,000)
Restructuring, integration and other costs		(514,825,000)	(344,387,000)	(97,667,000)									(234,060,000)
In-process research and development impairments and other charges		(153,639,000)	(189,901,000)	(109,200,000)
Acquisition-related costs		(36,416,000)	(78,604,000)	(32,964,000)									(14,100,000)
Acquisition-related contingent consideration		29,259,000	5,266,000	10,986,000
Other expense		(234,442,000)	(59,349,000)	(6,575,000)
Operating (loss) income		(409,502,000)	79,685,000	299,959,000
Interest income		8,023,000	5,986,000	4,084,000
Interest expense		(844,316,000)	(481,596,000)	(334,526,000)
Loss on extinguishment of debt		(65,014,000)	(20,080,000)	(36,844,000)
Foreign exchange and other		(9,465,000)	19,721,000	26,551,000
Gain on investments, net		5,822,000	2,056,000	22,776,000
Loss before recovery of income taxes		(1,314,452,000)	(394,228,000)	(18,000,000)
Impairment charges on intangible assets					7,900,000	19,800,000	551,600,000	31,500,000	31,300,000	22,200,000	18,700,000						551,600,000
Stock-based compensation expense		45,478,000	66,236,000	94,023,000								58,600,000																														45,478,000	66,236,000	93,000,000
Total assets		27,970,797,000	17,950,379,000	13,108,119,000										20,473,356,000	12,893,726,000	9,171,332,000											6,441,678,000	4,022,039,000	3,270,476,000										26,915,034,000	16,915,765,000	12,441,808,000	1,055,763,000	1,034,614,000	666,311,000
Identifiable intangible assets		12,848,160,000	9,308,669,000																				3,977,900,000	335,500,000	112,000,000	2,227,000,000									782,700,000		104,800,000	303,600,000
Goodwill		9,752,100,000	5,141,366,000	3,581,512,000									4,362,420,000	7,428,739,000	3,992,988,000	2,530,976,000							3,226,700,000	158,500,000		1,481,000,000	2,323,361,000	1,148,378,000	1,050,536,000						1,135,700,000	21,600,000	40,900,000	47,500,000
Capital Expenditures, and Depreciation and Amortization
Total capital expenditures		115,319,000	107,638,000	58,515,000										54,126,000	12,270,000	3,700,000											51,922,000	61,607,000	33,989,000										106,048,000	73,877,000	37,689,000	9,271,000	33,761,000	20,826,000
Total depreciation and amortization, including impairments of finite-lived intangible assets		2,015,806,000	986,222,000	612,603,000										1,687,705,000	755,108,000	447,420,000											313,659,000	224,544,000	159,039,000										2,001,364,000	979,652,000	606,459,000	14,442,000	6,570,000	6,144,000
Number of manufacturing facilities constructed			2
Impact of adjustments related to provisional fair value adjustment to identifiable intangible assets														773,000,000	430,500,000	116,300,000											255,400,000	177,500,000	106,000,000
Impairment charges related to the discontinuation of certain products in the Brazilian and Polish markets			$ 13,300,000