INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL - Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				$ 15,794,000,000	$ 18,553,000,000	$ 18,553,000,000
Acquisitions						1,000,000
Divestitures						(5,000,000)
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						(1,378,000,000)
Foreign exchange and other				261,000,000
Impairment	$ 0		$ (1,049,000,000)	(312,000,000)	(1,049,000,000)
Realignment of segment goodwill						0
Balance at the end of the period		$ 15,573,000,000		15,573,000,000		15,794,000,000
Developed Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				0	16,141,000,000	16,141,000,000
Acquisitions						1,000,000
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						0
Foreign exchange and other				0		47,000,000
Impairment				0
Realignment of segment goodwill						(15,211,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period		0		0		0
Emerging Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				0	2,412,000,000	2,412,000,000
Acquisitions						0
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						0
Foreign exchange and other				0		(12,000,000)
Impairment				0
Realignment of segment goodwill						(2,400,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period		0		0		0
Bausch Lomb / International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				5,763,000,000	0	0
Acquisitions						0
Divestitures						(5,000,000)
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						(947,000,000)
Foreign exchange and other				262,000,000		(257,000,000)
Impairment				0
Realignment of segment goodwill						6,708,000,000
Balance at the end of the period		5,994,000,000		5,994,000,000		5,763,000,000
Branded Rx
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				7,001,000,000	0	0
Acquisitions						0
Divestitures						0
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						(431,000,000)
Foreign exchange and other				(1,000,000)		(5,000,000)
Impairment		(312,000,000)		(312,000,000)
Realignment of segment goodwill						7,873,000,000
Balance at the end of the period	897,000,000	6,625,000,000		6,625,000,000		7,001,000,000
U.S. Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				3,030,000,000	0	0
Acquisitions						0
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						0
Foreign exchange and other				0		0
Impairment				0
Realignment of segment goodwill						3,030,000,000
Balance at the end of the period		$ 2,954,000,000		2,954,000,000		3,030,000,000
Developed Markets and Emerging Markets Segments
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Foreign exchange and other						35,000,000
Bausch Lomb/International, Branded Rx, and U.S. Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period	172,000,000
Foreign exchange and other						(262,000,000)
Impairment					(211,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period			172,000,000		172,000,000
Held-for-sale
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale				(170,000,000)
Held-for-sale | Developed Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale				0
Held-for-sale | Emerging Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale				0
Held-for-sale | Bausch Lomb / International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale				(31,000,000)
Held-for-sale | Branded Rx
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale				(63,000,000)
Held-for-sale | U.S. Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale				(76,000,000)
Portfolio of Neurology Medical Device Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Divestitures						(36,000,000)
Portfolio of Neurology Medical Device Products | Developed Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Divestitures						(36,000,000)
Portfolio of Neurology Medical Device Products | Emerging Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Divestitures						0
Portfolio of Neurology Medical Device Products | Bausch Lomb / International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Divestitures						0
Portfolio of Neurology Medical Device Products | Branded Rx
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Divestitures						0
Portfolio of Neurology Medical Device Products | U.S. Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Divestitures						0
Ruconest Divestiture
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						(37,000,000)
Ruconest Divestiture | Developed Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						(37,000,000)
Ruconest Divestiture | Emerging Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						0
Ruconest Divestiture | Bausch Lomb / International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						0
Ruconest Divestiture | Branded Rx
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						0
Ruconest Divestiture | U.S. Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale						0
Former U.S. Reporting Unit
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						(905,000,000)
Former U.S. Reporting Unit | Developed Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						(905,000,000)
Former U.S. Reporting Unit | Emerging Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						0
Former U.S. Reporting Unit | Bausch Lomb / International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						0
Former U.S. Reporting Unit | Branded Rx
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						0
Former U.S. Reporting Unit | U.S. Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						0
Salix
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period	5,128,000,000
Impairment	0			(312,000,000)		(172,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period	$ 5,128,000,000		$ 5,128,000,000		$ 5,128,000,000
Salix | Developed Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						0
Salix | Emerging Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						0
Salix | Bausch Lomb / International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						0
Salix | Branded Rx
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						(172,000,000)
Salix | U.S. Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Impairment						0
As Initially Reported
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				15,794,000,000
Balance at the end of the period						15,794,000,000
As Initially Reported | Developed Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				0
Balance at the end of the period						0
As Initially Reported | Emerging Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				0
Balance at the end of the period						0
As Initially Reported | Bausch Lomb / International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				5,499,000,000
Balance at the end of the period						5,499,000,000
As Initially Reported | Branded Rx
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				7,265,000,000
Balance at the end of the period						7,265,000,000
As Initially Reported | U.S. Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				3,030,000,000
Balance at the end of the period						3,030,000,000
Adjustments
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				0
Balance at the end of the period						0
Adjustments | Developed Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				0
Balance at the end of the period						0
Adjustments | Emerging Markets
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				0
Balance at the end of the period						0
Adjustments | Bausch Lomb / International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				264,000,000
Balance at the end of the period						264,000,000
Adjustments | Branded Rx
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				(264,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period						(264,000,000)
Adjustments | U.S. Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period				$ 0
Balance at the end of the period						$ 0