SUMMARY QUARTERLY INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 597.3				$ 322.6			$ 600.3	$ 916.1
Trade receivables, net	2,686.9				2,075.8
Inventories, net	1,256.6				889.2
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	966.4				650.8
Deferred tax assets, net	0.0				193.3
Total current assets	5,507.2				4,131.7
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,441.8				1,312.3
Intangible assets, net	23,083.0				11,277.9
Goodwill	18,552.8				9,361.4			9,752.1
Deferred tax assets, net	156.0				54.0
Other long-term assets, net	223.7				167.4
Total assets	48,964.5				26,304.7			27,932.9
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	433.7				398.0
Accrued and other current liabilities	3,859.1				2,157.0
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	196.8				141.8
Current portion of long-term debt	823.0				0.9
Deferred tax liabilities, net	0.0				10.7
Total current liabilities	5,312.6				2,708.4
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	959.1				205.8
Long-term debt	30,265.4				15,228.0
Pension and other benefit liabilities	190.4				239.8
Liabilities for uncertain tax positions	120.2				102.6
Deferred tax liabilities, net	5,902.4				2,221.3
Other long-term liabilities	184.6				197.1
Total liabilities	42,934.7				20,903.0
Equity [Abstract]
Common shares, no par value	9,897.4				8,349.2
Additional paid-in capital	304.9				243.9
Accumulated deficit	(2,749.7)				(2,397.8)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,541.6)				(915.9)			(132.8)	(119.4)
Total Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. shareholders’ equity	5,911.0				5,279.4
Noncontrolling interest	118.8				122.3
Total equity	6,029.8				5,401.7			5,233.3	$ 3,717.4
Total liabilities and equity	$ 48,964.5				$ 26,304.7
Common stock, shares outstanding	342,926,531			342,266,409	334,402,964	334,004,879
Common stock, shares issued	342,926,531			342,266,409	334,402,964	334,004,879
Revenue recognition correction
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 1,420.0	$ 958.0	$ 1,864.4	$ 322.6	$ 808.8	$ 531.2	600.3
Trade receivables, net				2,108.8	2,075.8	1,880.2
Inventories, net				990.1	889.2	933.3
Restricted cash and cash equivalents				10,354.9
Prepaid expenses and other current assets				660.9	650.8	465.6
Assets held for sale				7.8		10.0
Deferred tax assets, net				196.5	193.3	316.4
Total current assets				16,183.4	4,131.7	4,414.3
Property, plant and equipment, net				1,336.6	1,312.3	1,300.4
Intangible assets, net				11,576.6	11,277.9	11,620.4
Goodwill				9,176.4	9,361.4	9,467.8
Deferred tax assets, net				151.7	54.0	23.9
Other long-term assets, net				129.9	167.4	203.9
Total assets				38,554.6	26,304.7	27,030.7
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable				352.5	398.0	323.3
Accrued and other current liabilities				2,427.0	2,157.0	2,006.8
Acquisition-related contingent consideration				186.3	141.8	116.5
Current portion of long-term debt				122.8	0.9	690.6
Deferred tax liabilities, net				11.1	10.7	19.0
Total current liabilities				3,099.7	2,708.4	3,156.2
Acquisition-related contingent consideration				237.7	205.8	211.3
Long-term debt				25,856.6	15,228.0	15,554.8
Pension and other benefit liabilities				227.7	239.8	157.7
Liabilities for uncertain tax positions				98.7	102.6	113.8
Deferred tax liabilities, net				2,258.9	2,221.3	2,405.1
Other long-term liabilities				208.9	197.1	208.6
Total liabilities				31,988.2	20,903.0	21,807.5
Equity [Abstract]
Common shares, no par value				9,810.3	8,349.2	8,334.4
Additional paid-in capital				260.9	243.9	240.2
Accumulated deficit				(2,300.1)	(2,397.8)	(2,910.3)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss				(1,327.6)	(915.9)	(552.0)
Total Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. shareholders’ equity				6,443.5	5,279.4	5,112.3
Noncontrolling interest				122.9	122.3	110.9
Total equity				6,566.4	5,401.7	5,223.2
Total liabilities and equity				38,554.6	26,304.7	27,030.7
Previously reported | Revenue recognition correction
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		1,420.0	958.0	1,864.4	322.6	808.8	531.2	600.3
Trade receivables, net				2,108.8	2,075.8	1,880.2
Inventories, net				998.9	950.6	932.7
Restricted cash and cash equivalents				10,354.9
Prepaid expenses and other current assets				660.9	650.8	465.6
Assets held for sale				7.8		10.0
Deferred tax assets, net				196.5	193.3	316.4
Total current assets				16,192.2	4,193.1	4,413.7
Property, plant and equipment, net				1,334.8	1,310.5	1,300.4
Intangible assets, net				11,554.6	11,255.9	11,620.4
Goodwill				9,161.4	9,346.4	9,467.8
Deferred tax assets, net				151.7	54.0	23.9
Other long-term assets, net				129.9	167.4	203.9
Total assets				38,524.6	26,327.3	27,030.1
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable				352.5	398.0	323.3
Accrued and other current liabilities				2,424.4	2,179.4	1,993.9
Acquisition-related contingent consideration				186.3	141.8	116.5
Current portion of long-term debt				122.8	0.9	690.6
Deferred tax liabilities, net				11.1	10.7	19.0
Total current liabilities				3,097.1	2,730.8	3,143.3
Acquisition-related contingent consideration				198.9	167.0	211.3
Long-term debt				25,856.6	15,228.0	15,554.8
Pension and other benefit liabilities				227.7	239.8	157.7
Liabilities for uncertain tax positions				98.7	102.6	113.8
Deferred tax liabilities, net				2,261.5	2,227.5	2,407.0
Other long-term liabilities				208.9	197.1	208.6
Total liabilities				31,949.4	20,892.8	21,796.5
Equity [Abstract]
Common shares, no par value				9,810.3	8,349.2	8,334.4
Additional paid-in capital				260.9	243.9	240.2
Accumulated deficit				(2,291.3)	(2,365.0)	(2,899.9)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss				(1,327.6)	(915.9)	(552.0)
Total Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. shareholders’ equity				6,452.3	5,312.2	5,122.7
Noncontrolling interest				122.9	122.3	110.9
Total equity				6,575.2	5,434.5	5,233.6
Total liabilities and equity				38,524.6	26,327.3	27,030.1
Restatement adjustments | Revenue recognition correction
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 0.0	$ 0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	$ 0.0	$ 0.0
Trade receivables, net				0.0	0.0	0.0
Inventories, net				(8.8)	(61.4)	0.6
Restricted cash and cash equivalents				0.0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets				0.0	0.0	0.0
Assets held for sale				0.0		0.0
Deferred tax assets, net				0.0	0.0	0.0
Total current assets				(8.8)	(61.4)	0.6
Property, plant and equipment, net				1.8	1.8	0.0
Intangible assets, net				22.0	22.0	0.0
Goodwill				15.0	15.0	0.0
Deferred tax assets, net				0.0	0.0	0.0
Other long-term assets, net				0.0	0.0	0.0
Total assets				30.0	(22.6)	0.6
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable				0.0	0.0	0.0
Accrued and other current liabilities				2.6	(22.4)	12.9
Acquisition-related contingent consideration				0.0	0.0	0.0
Current portion of long-term debt				0.0	0.0	0.0
Deferred tax liabilities, net				0.0	0.0	0.0
Total current liabilities				2.6	(22.4)	12.9
Acquisition-related contingent consideration				38.8	38.8	0.0
Long-term debt				0.0	0.0	0.0
Pension and other benefit liabilities				0.0	0.0	0.0
Liabilities for uncertain tax positions				0.0	0.0	0.0
Deferred tax liabilities, net				(2.6)	(6.2)	(1.9)
Other long-term liabilities				0.0	0.0	0.0
Total liabilities				38.8	10.2	11.0
Equity [Abstract]
Common shares, no par value				0.0	0.0	0.0
Additional paid-in capital				0.0	0.0	0.0
Accumulated deficit				(8.8)	(32.8)	(10.4)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss				0.0	0.0	0.0
Total Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. shareholders’ equity				(8.8)	(32.8)	(10.4)
Noncontrolling interest				0.0	0.0	0.0
Total equity				(8.8)	(32.8)	(10.4)
Total liabilities and equity				$ 30.0	$ (22.6)	$ 0.6