BUSINESS COMBINATIONS - Estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2015	Apr. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jul. 07, 2014	Jan. 24, 2014
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Goodwill	$ 17,374.7		$ 9,346.4
Salix
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents	113.7
Inventories	233.2
Other current assets	1,414.6
Property, plant and equipment, net	24.3
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D	6,756.3
Acquired IPR&D	5,276.7
Current liabilities	(1,905.0)
Contingent consideration, short term portion	(373.2)
Long-term debt, including current portion	(3,123.1)
Deferred income taxes, net	(3,419.5)
Other non-current liabilities	(16.3)
Total identifiable net assets	4,981.7
Goodwill	8,150.3
Total fair value of consideration transferred	13,132.0
Salix | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 113.7
Inventories		233.2
Other current assets		1,400.3
Property, plant and equipment, net		24.3
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D		6,756.3
Acquired IPR&D		5,366.8
Current liabilities		(1,764.2)
Contingent consideration, short term portion		(327.9)
Long-term debt, including current portion		(3,123.1)
Deferred income taxes, net		(3,512.0)
Other non-current liabilities		(7.3)
Total identifiable net assets		5,160.1
Goodwill		7,971.9
Total fair value of consideration transferred		13,132.0
Salix | Measurement Period Adjustments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents		0.0
Inventories		0.0
Other current assets		14.3
Property, plant and equipment, net		0.0
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D		0.0
Acquired IPR&D		(90.1)
Current liabilities		(140.8)
Contingent consideration, short term portion		(45.3)
Long-term debt, including current portion		0.0
Deferred income taxes, net		92.5
Other non-current liabilities		(9.0)
Total identifiable net assets		(178.4)
Goodwill		178.4
Total fair value of consideration transferred		$ 0.0
Other 2015 Acquisitions
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents	81.6
Accounts receivable	38.3
Inventories	118.6
Other current assets	18.2
Property, plant and equipment, net	71.3
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D	1,006.7
Acquired IPR&D	55.9
Other non-current assets	2.8
Current liabilities	(117.0)
Non-current liabilities	(117.4)
Long-term debt, including current portion	(6.1)
Deferred income taxes, net	(11.7)
Total identifiable net assets	1,141.2
Goodwill	85.8
Total fair value of consideration transferred	1,227.0
Other 2015 Acquisitions | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents			81.6
Accounts receivable			38.3
Inventories			118.9
Other current assets			18.2
Property, plant and equipment, net			85.6
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D			999.3
Acquired IPR&D			57.4
Other non-current assets			2.8
Current liabilities			(117.0)
Non-current liabilities			(117.4)
Long-term debt, including current portion			(6.1)
Deferred income taxes, net			(14.9)
Total identifiable net assets			1,146.7
Goodwill			86.7
Total fair value of consideration transferred			1,233.4
Other 2015 Acquisitions | Measurement Period Adjustments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents			0.0
Accounts receivable			0.0
Inventories			(0.3)
Other current assets			0.0
Property, plant and equipment, net			(14.3)
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D			7.4
Acquired IPR&D			(1.5)
Other non-current assets			0.0
Current liabilities			0.0
Non-current liabilities			0.0
Long-term debt, including current portion			0.0
Deferred income taxes, net			3.2
Total identifiable net assets			(5.5)
Goodwill			(0.9)
Total fair value of consideration transferred			(6.4)
2014 Acquisitions
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents	34.7
Accounts receivable	81.8
Assets held for sale	124.9
Inventories	154.5
Other current assets	14.2
Property, plant and equipment, net	57.9
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D	723.4
Acquired IPR&D	63.0
Other non-current assets	1.9
Current liabilities	(168.9)
Long-term debt, including current portion	(10.9)
Deferred income taxes, net	(75.5)
Other non-current liabilities	(13.5)
Total identifiable net assets	987.5
Noncontrolling interest	(19.9)
Goodwill	459.4
Total fair value of consideration transferred less noncontrolling interest	1,427.0
Gross contractual amount of trade accounts receivable acquired	88.0
Expected uncollectible of trade accounts receivable acquired	6.0
2014 Acquisitions | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents			33.6
Accounts receivable			87.7
Assets held for sale			125.7
Inventories			170.4
Other current assets			19.1
Property, plant and equipment, net			58.5
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D			697.2
Acquired IPR&D			65.8
Other non-current assets			4.0
Current liabilities			(152.0)
Long-term debt, including current portion			(11.2)
Deferred income taxes, net			(116.0)
Other non-current liabilities			(13.4)
Total identifiable net assets			969.4
Noncontrolling interest			(15.0)
Goodwill			410.4
Total fair value of consideration transferred less noncontrolling interest			1,364.8
2014 Acquisitions | Measurement Period Adjustments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents			1.1
Accounts receivable			(5.9)
Assets held for sale			(0.8)
Inventories			(15.9)
Other current assets			(4.9)
Property, plant and equipment, net			(0.6)
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired IPR&D			26.2
Acquired IPR&D			(2.8)
Other non-current assets			(2.1)
Current liabilities			(16.9)
Long-term debt, including current portion			0.3
Deferred income taxes, net			40.5
Other non-current liabilities			(0.1)
Total identifiable net assets			18.1
Noncontrolling interest			(4.9)
Goodwill			49.0
Total fair value of consideration transferred less noncontrolling interest			62.2
PreCision Dermatology, Inc.
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Total fair value of consideration transferred				$ 459.0
Solta Medical, Inc.
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Total fair value of consideration transferred					$ 293.0
Developed Markets
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Goodwill	15,229.3		7,115.0
Developed Markets | PreCision Dermatology, Inc.
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Goodwill				194.0
Developed Markets | Solta Medical, Inc.
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Goodwill				56.0
Emerging Markets
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Goodwill	$ 2,145.4		$ 2,231.4
Emerging Markets | Solta Medical, Inc.
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Goodwill				$ 38.0