ACQUISITIONS - Estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed (Details) - USD ($)				3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 19, 2015	Oct. 01, 2015	Apr. 01, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Feb. 10, 2015
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Goodwill				$ 17,450,100,000	$ 17,450,100,000		$ 18,552,800,000
Purchase price net of cash received					18,500,000	$ 14,001,700,000
Acquired IPR&D | Oral Relistor
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Reduction of IPR&D due to reclassification				304,000,000
Convertible Debt
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Long-term debt, including current portion			$ (3,123,100,000)
Convertible Debt | 1.5% Convertible Notes Due March 2019
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Long-term debt, including current portion			$ (1,837,100,000)
Stated interest rate on debt (as a percent)			1.50%
Estimated fair value of warrant transactions			$ 1,080,000,000
Convertible Debt | 2.75% Convertible Notes Due May 2015
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Long-term debt, including current portion			$ (1,286,000,000)
Stated interest rate on debt (as a percent)			2.75%
Amoun
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents				43,500,000	43,500,000
Accounts receivable				64,200,000	64,200,000
Inventories				37,900,000	37,900,000
Other current assets				12,200,000	12,200,000
Property, plant and equipment, net				95,400,000	95,400,000
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)				520,200,000	520,200,000
Acquired IPR&D				19,500,000	19,500,000
Other non-current assets				100,000	100,000
Current liabilities				(32,000,000)	(32,000,000)
Deferred tax liabilities, net				(130,900,000)	(130,900,000)
Other non-current liabilities				(7,200,000)	(7,200,000)
Total identifiable net assets				622,900,000	622,900,000
Goodwill				283,500,000	283,500,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred				906,400,000	906,400,000
Accounts receivable, gross				66,000,000	66,000,000
Expected uncollectible of trade accounts receivable acquired				2,000,000	2,000,000
Weighted- average useful lives (Years)	10 years
Amoun | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 43,500,000
Accounts receivable	64,200,000
Inventories	37,900,000
Other current assets	12,200,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	96,400,000
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)	528,000,000
Acquired IPR&D	18,500,000
Other non-current assets	100,000
Current liabilities	(30,800,000)
Deferred tax liabilities, net	(130,500,000)
Other non-current liabilities	(11,200,000)
Total identifiable net assets	628,300,000
Goodwill	282,000,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred	$ 910,300,000
Amoun | Measurement Period Adjustments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents				0	0
Accounts receivable				0	0
Inventories				0	0
Other current assets				0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net				(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)				(7,800,000)	(7,800,000)
Acquired IPR&D				1,000,000	1,000,000
Other non-current assets				0	0
Current liabilities				(1,200,000)	(1,200,000)
Deferred tax liabilities, net				(400,000)	(400,000)
Other non-current liabilities				4,000,000	4,000,000
Total identifiable net assets				(5,400,000)	(5,400,000)
Goodwill				1,500,000	1,500,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred				(3,900,000)	(3,900,000)
Amoun | Product brands
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)				479,800,000	479,800,000
Weighted- average useful lives (Years)	9 years
Amoun | Product brands | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)	$ 490,800,000
Amoun | Product brands | Measurement Period Adjustments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)				(11,000,000)	(11,000,000)
Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 26,600,000
Inventories		11,000,000
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)		993,700,000
Other non-current assets		1,600,000
Current liabilities		(4,400,000)
Deferred income taxes, net		(351,900,000)
Total identifiable net assets		676,600,000
Goodwill		769,900,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred		$ 1,446,500,000
Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Product brands
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Weighted- average useful lives (Years)		11 years
Salix
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents							113,700,000
Inventories							232,600,000
Other current assets							1,410,400,000
Property, plant and equipment, net							24,300,000
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)							6,756,300,000
Acquired IPR&D							5,182,900,000
Current liabilities							(1,939,200,000)
Deferred tax liabilities, net			$ (3,730,000,000)
Contingent consideration, short term portion			$ (334,000,000)				(334,100,000)
Long-term debt, including current portion							(3,123,100,000)
Deferred income taxes, net							(3,427,900,000)
Other non-current liabilities							(43,300,000)
Total identifiable net assets							4,852,600,000
Goodwill							8,279,400,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred							13,132,000,000
Weighted- average useful lives (Years)			11 years
Inventory adjustments			$ 108,000,000
Estimated fair value of derivatives			1,270,000,000
Estimated insurance recoveries			80,000,000
Accrual for potential losses and legal costs			336,000,000
Accrual for returns and rebates			375,000,000
Range of potential milestone payment, high			650,000,000
Deferred tax assets			303,000,000
Salix | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents			113,700,000
Inventories			233,200,000
Other current assets			1,400,300,000
Property, plant and equipment, net			24,300,000
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)			6,756,300,000
Acquired IPR&D			5,366,800,000
Current liabilities			(1,764,200,000)
Contingent consideration, short term portion			(327,900,000)
Long-term debt, including current portion			(3,123,100,000)
Deferred income taxes, net			(3,512,000,000)
Other non-current liabilities			(7,300,000)
Total identifiable net assets			5,160,100,000
Goodwill			7,971,900,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred			13,132,000,000
Salix | Measurement Period Adjustments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents							0
Inventories							(600,000)
Other current assets							10,100,000
Property, plant and equipment, net							0
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)							0
Acquired IPR&D							(183,900,000)
Current liabilities							(175,000,000)
Contingent consideration, short term portion							(6,200,000)
Long-term debt, including current portion							0
Deferred income taxes, net							84,100,000
Other non-current liabilities							(36,000,000)
Total identifiable net assets							(307,500,000)
Goodwill							307,500,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred							0
Salix | Development and Sales Based Milestones
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Range of potential milestone payment, high			250,000,000
Salix | Xifaxan
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
IPR&D asset fair value			4,790,000,000
Salix | Oral Relistor
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Reduction of IPR&D due to reclassification			$ 304,000,000
Salix | Acquired IPR&D
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Weighted- average useful lives (Years)			10 years
Salix | Acquired IPR&D | Maximum
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Fair value discount rate (as a percent)			9.50%
Salix | Acquired IPR&D | Minimum
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Fair value discount rate (as a percent)			11.00%
Salix | Convertible Debt | 1.5% Convertible Notes Due March 2019
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Stated interest rate on debt (as a percent)			1.50%
Salix | Convertible Debt | 2.75% Convertible Notes Due May 2015
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Stated interest rate on debt (as a percent)			2.75%
Salix | Product brands
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)							6,089,600,000
Weighted- average useful lives (Years)			10 years
Salix | Product brands | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)			$ 6,088,300,000
Salix | Product brands | Measurement Period Adjustments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)							1,300,000
Salix | Acquired IPR&D
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Weighted- average useful lives (Years)			12 years
Brodalumab | Sales Based Milestone Payments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Range of potential milestone payment, high		$ 175,000,000
Payments related to various milestones				50,000,000
Other 2015 Acquisitions
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents				92,200,000	92,200,000
Accounts receivable				46,500,000	46,500,000		47,000,000
Inventories				140,300,000	140,300,000
Other current assets				19,700,000	19,700,000
Property, plant and equipment, net				79,500,000	79,500,000
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)				1,078,400,000	1,078,400,000
Acquired IPR&D				53,800,000	53,800,000
Other non-current assets				2,900,000	2,900,000
Current liabilities				(128,400,000)	(128,400,000)
Deferred tax asset, net				6,400,000	6,400,000
Non-current liabilities				(117,200,000)	(117,200,000)
Long-term debt, including current portion				(6,100,000)	(6,100,000)
Total identifiable net assets				1,268,000,000	1,268,000,000
Goodwill				138,800,000	138,800,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred				1,406,800,000	1,406,800,000
Accounts receivable, gross							$ 51,000,000
Weighted- average useful lives (Years)							8 years
Allowance for doubtful accounts							$ 4,000,000
Other 2015 Acquisitions | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents							92,200,000
Accounts receivable							49,500,000
Inventories							142,900,000
Other current assets							20,200,000
Property, plant and equipment, net							94,600,000
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)							1,121,600,000
Acquired IPR&D							57,500,000
Other non-current assets							2,900,000
Current liabilities							(123,900,000)
Deferred tax liabilities, net							(54,700,000)
Non-current liabilities							(117,400,000)
Long-term debt, including current portion							(6,100,000)
Total identifiable net assets							1,279,300,000
Goodwill							141,900,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred							$ 1,421,200,000
Other 2015 Acquisitions | Measurement Period Adjustments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Cash and cash equivalents				0	0
Accounts receivable				(3,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Inventories				(2,600,000)	(2,600,000)
Other current assets				(500,000)	(500,000)
Property, plant and equipment, net				(15,100,000)	(15,100,000)
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)				(43,200,000)	(43,200,000)
Acquired IPR&D				(3,700,000)	(3,700,000)
Other non-current assets				0	0
Current liabilities				(4,500,000)	(4,500,000)
Deferred tax asset, net				61,100,000	61,100,000
Non-current liabilities				200,000	200,000
Long-term debt, including current portion				0	0
Total identifiable net assets				(11,300,000)	(11,300,000)
Goodwill				(3,100,000)	(3,100,000)
Total fair value of consideration transferred				(14,400,000)	(14,400,000)
Other 2015 Acquisitions | Product brands
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)				735,200,000	735,200,000
Weighted- average useful lives (Years)							7 years
Other 2015 Acquisitions | Product brands | Amounts Recognized as of Acquisition Date (as previously reported)
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)							$ 741,200,000
Other 2015 Acquisitions | Product brands | Measurement Period Adjustments
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Identifiable intangible assets, excluding acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D)				(6,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Marathon
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Current liabilities							(41,000,000)
Non-current liabilities							(46,000,000)
Total fair value of consideration transferred								$ 286,000,000
Range of potential milestone payment, high							200,000,000
Purchase price net of cash received				$ 5,000,000	$ 32,000,000		$ 35,000,000