RESTATEMENT OF PREVIOUSLY ISSUED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Revenues
Product sales	$ 2,443.6	$ 2,748.2	$ 7,168.4	$ 7,569.3
Other revenues	36.0	38.6	103.0	120.0
Total revenues	2,479.6	2,786.8	7,271.4	7,689.3
Operating Expenses
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of amortization and impairments of finite-lived intangible assets shown separately below)	649.2	634.6	1,916.7	1,812.4
Cost of other revenues	8.8	13.6	29.0	43.1
Selling, general and administrative	660.9	697.6	2,145.0	1,956.9
Research and development	100.8	101.6	328.2	238.5
Amortization and impairments of finite-lived intangible assets	807.1	679.2	2,389.2	1,629.8
Restructuring and integration costs	20.7	75.6	78.2	274.0
In-process research and development impairments and other changes	36.0	95.8	53.9	108.1
Acquisition-related costs	0.0	7.0	1.8	30.4
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	9.0	3.8	18.3	22.6
Other income (expense)	1.1	30.2	(21.6)	213.2
Total expenses	3,342.6	2,339.0	7,987.7	6,329.0
Operating (loss) income	(863.0)	447.8	(716.3)	1,360.3
Interest income	2.5	0.7	5.5	2.5
Interest expense	(469.6)	(420.2)	(1,368.7)	(1,130.7)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0.0	0.0	0.0	(20.0)
Foreign exchange (loss) gain and other	(2.3)	(34.0)	4.6	(99.5)
(Loss) income before (recovery of) provision for income taxes	(1,332.4)	(5.7)	(2,074.9)	112.6
(Recovery of) provision for income taxes	(113.3)	(57.4)	(178.9)	14.0
Net (loss) income	(1,219.1)	51.7	(1,896.0)	98.6
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(0.7)	2.2	(1.6)	4.4
Net (loss) income attributable to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.	$ (1,218.4)	$ 49.5	$ (1,894.4)	$ 94.2
Earnings (loss) per share attributable to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.:
Basic (in usd per share)	$ (3.49)	$ 0.14	$ (5.47)	$ 0.28
Diluted (in usd per share)	$ (3.49)	$ 0.14	$ (5.47)	$ 0.27
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in millions)
Basic (in shares)	349.5	344.9	346.5	340.8
Diluted (in shares)	349.5	351.0	346.5	347.2
Revenue Recognition Correction
Revenues
Product sales				$ 7,569.3
Other revenues				120.0
Total revenues				7,689.3
Operating Expenses
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of amortization and impairments of finite-lived intangible assets shown separately below)				1,812.4
Cost of other revenues				43.1
Selling, general and administrative				1,956.9
Research and development				238.5
Amortization and impairments of finite-lived intangible assets				1,629.8
Restructuring and integration costs				274.0
In-process research and development impairments and other changes				108.1
Acquisition-related costs				30.4
Acquisition-related contingent consideration				22.6
Other income (expense)				213.2
Total expenses				6,329.0
Operating (loss) income				1,360.3
Interest income				2.5
Interest expense				(1,130.7)
Loss on extinguishment of debt				(20.0)
Foreign exchange (loss) gain and other				(99.5)
(Loss) income before (recovery of) provision for income taxes				112.6
(Recovery of) provision for income taxes				14.0
Net (loss) income				98.6
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest				4.4
Net (loss) income attributable to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.				$ 94.2
Earnings (loss) per share attributable to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.:
Basic (in usd per share)				$ 0.28
Diluted (in usd per share)				$ 0.27
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in millions)
Basic (in shares)				340.8
Diluted (in shares)				347.2
Revenue Recognition Correction | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Revenues
Product sales				$ 7,590.1
Other revenues				120.0
Total revenues				7,710.1
Operating Expenses
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of amortization and impairments of finite-lived intangible assets shown separately below)				1,864.9
Cost of other revenues				43.1
Selling, general and administrative				1,956.9
Research and development				238.5
Amortization and impairments of finite-lived intangible assets				1,629.8
Restructuring and integration costs				274.0
In-process research and development impairments and other changes				108.1
Acquisition-related costs				26.3
Acquisition-related contingent consideration				22.6
Other income (expense)				213.2
Total expenses				6,377.4
Operating (loss) income				1,332.7
Interest income				2.5
Interest expense				(1,130.7)
Loss on extinguishment of debt				(20.0)
Foreign exchange (loss) gain and other				(99.5)
(Loss) income before (recovery of) provision for income taxes				85.0
(Recovery of) provision for income taxes				10.4
Net (loss) income				74.6
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest				4.4
Net (loss) income attributable to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.				$ 70.2
Earnings (loss) per share attributable to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.:
Basic (in usd per share)				$ 0.21
Diluted (in usd per share)				$ 0.20
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in millions)
Basic (in shares)				340.8
Diluted (in shares)				347.2
Revenue Recognition Correction | Restatement Adjustment
Revenues
Product sales				$ (20.8)
Other revenues				0.0
Total revenues				(20.8)
Operating Expenses
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of amortization and impairments of finite-lived intangible assets shown separately below)				(52.5)
Cost of other revenues				0.0
Selling, general and administrative				0.0
Research and development				0.0
Amortization and impairments of finite-lived intangible assets				0.0
Restructuring and integration costs				0.0
In-process research and development impairments and other changes				0.0
Acquisition-related costs				4.1
Acquisition-related contingent consideration				0.0
Other income (expense)				0.0
Total expenses				(48.4)
Operating (loss) income				27.6
Interest income				0.0
Interest expense				0.0
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0.0
Foreign exchange (loss) gain and other				0.0
(Loss) income before (recovery of) provision for income taxes				27.6
(Recovery of) provision for income taxes				3.6
Net (loss) income				24.0
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest				0.0
Net (loss) income attributable to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.				$ 24.0
Earnings (loss) per share attributable to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.:
Basic (in usd per share)				$ 0.07
Diluted (in usd per share)				$ 0.07