SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	9 Months Ended
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company in United States (“U.S.”) dollars and in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial reporting, which do not conform in all respects to the requirements of U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements. Accordingly, these notes to the unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP that are contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (as updated by the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the Canadian Securities Administrators on August 10, 2018) for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC and the Canadian Securities Administrators. The unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared using accounting policies that are consistent with the policies used in preparing the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, except for the new accounting guidance adopted during the period. The unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position and results of operations for the interim periods. The operating results for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full year.
Use of Estimates	In preparing the unaudited consolidated financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from these estimates. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates to ensure that these estimates appropriately reflect changes in the Company’s business and new information as it becomes available. If historical experience and other factors used by management to make these estimates do not reasonably reflect future activity, the Company’s results of operations and financial position could be materially impacted.
Principles of Consolidation	The unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and those of its subsidiaries and any variable interest entities for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.
Reclassifications	Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts to conform to the current year presentation.
Adoption of New Accounting Standards and Recently Issued Accounting Standards, Not Adopted as of September 30, 2018	In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance on recognizing revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of the revenue model is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In applying the revenue model to contracts within its scope, an entity will: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. In addition to these provisions, the new standard provides implementation guidance on several other topics, including the accounting for certain revenue-related costs, as well as enhanced disclosure requirements. The new guidance requires entities to disclose both quantitative and qualitative information that enables users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. In March 2016, the FASB issued an amendment to clarify the implementation guidance around considerations whether an entity is a principal or an agent, impacting whether an entity reports revenue on a gross or net basis. In April 2016, the FASB issued an amendment to clarify guidance on identifying performance obligations and the implementation guidance on licensing. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Entities had the option of using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt the guidance. The Company completed its detailed assessment and training program for its personnel. Pursuant to the detailed assessment program, the Company reviewed its revenue arrangements and assessed the differences in accounting for such contracts under the new guidance as compared with prior revenue accounting guidance. Based upon review of current customer contracts, the Company concluded the implementation of the new guidance did not have a material quantitative impact on its consolidated financial statements as the timing of revenue recognition for product sales did not significantly change. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. Accordingly, the amounts reported in the prior period have not been restated. The new guidance did however result in additional disclosures as to the nature, amounts, and concentrations of revenue. See Note 3, "REVENUE RECOGNITION" and Note 19, "SEGMENT INFORMATION" for additional details and the application of this guidance. In October 2016, the FASB issued guidance requiring an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs, rather than when the asset has been sold to an outside party. This guidance was effective for the Company January 1, 2018 and was applied using a modified retrospective approach through a cumulative-effect adjustment to accumulated deficit and deferred income taxes as of the effective date. The Company recorded a net cumulative-effect adjustment of $1,209 million to increase deferred income tax assets and decrease the opening balance of Accumulated deficit for the income tax consequences deferred from past intra-entity transfers involving assets other than inventory. In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of assisting with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The Company prospectively applied the new definition to all transactions effective January 1, 2018. In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance which simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating “Step 2” from the goodwill impairment test. Instead, goodwill impairment is measured as the amount by which a reporting unit's carrying value exceeds its fair value. The FASB also eliminated the requirements for any reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount to perform a qualitative assessment. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company elected to adopt this guidance effective January 1, 2018. The Company tested goodwill for impairment upon adopting this guidance and recognized impairment charges of $2,213 million, related to its Salix reporting unit and Ortho Dermatologics reporting unit at January 1, 2018. See Note 8, "INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL" for additional details and the application of this guidance. Recently Issued Accounting Standards, Not Adopted as of September 30, 2018 In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance on lease accounting to increase transparency and comparability among organizations that lease buildings, equipment, and other assets by requiring the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. Consistent with the current lease accounting standard, leases will continue to be classified as finance leases or operating leases. The classification is determined based on whether the risks and rewards, as well as substantive control, have been transferred to the Company and its determination will govern the pattern of lease cost recognition. Finance leases will be accounted for in substantially the same manner as capital leases are accounted for under current U.S. GAAP. Operating leases will be accounted for (both in the statement of operations and statement of cash flows) in a manner consistent with operating leases under existing U.S. GAAP. However, as it relates to the balance sheet, lessees will recognize lease liabilities based upon the present value of remaining lease payments and corresponding right of use lease assets for operating leases with limited exception. The new guidance will also require lessees and lessors to provide additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures to help financial statement users assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early application is permitted. The Company will adopt the standard on January 1, 2019, and is electing to apply the modified retrospective approach to recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to accumulated deficit at the adoption date. The Company also intends to elect the available practical expedients upon adoption. The Company continues to make progress on its implementation plan for adopting the new standard. The Company is in the process of updating its systems, processes and controls to track, record and account for its lease portfolio. The Company has selected a third-party software to assist in complying with the new standard and is in the process of configuring the software. The Company is also assessing the potential impact that embedded leases within its service arrangements have on its consolidated balance sheet. Although the Company anticipates that the inclusion of lease-related assets and liabilities will have a material impact on the consolidated balance sheets, the Company believes its adoption will not have a material impact on the consolidated statements of operations upon adoption. While the Company is still in the process of finalizing the assessment of the impacts on the consolidated balance sheets, based on the assessment to date, the Company currently believes the most significant impact relates to assets and liabilities arising from facilities, vehicles and equipment operating leases. The Company expects that accounting for capital leases will remain substantially unchanged under the new standard. The Company does not expect the new standard to have a material impact on lessor activities. In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance on the impairment of financial instruments requiring an impairment model based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under this guidance, an entity recognizes as an allowance its estimate of expected credit losses. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company is evaluating the impact of adoption of this guidance on its financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance modifying the disclosure requirements for fair value measurement. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is permitted to early adopt any removed or modified disclosures upon issuance of this update and delay adoption of the additional disclosures until the effective date. The Company is evaluating the impact of adoption of this guidance on its disclosures. In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance modifying the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans. The guidance is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact of adoption of this guidance on its disclosures. In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance aligning the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact of adoption of this guidance on its financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Revenue Recognition	REVENUE RECOGNITION The Company’s revenues are primarily generated from product sales that consist of: (i) branded pharmaceuticals, (ii) generic and branded generic pharmaceuticals, (iii) OTC products and (iv) medical devices (contact lenses, intraocular lenses, ophthalmic surgical equipment and aesthetics devices). Other revenues include alliance and service revenue from the licensing and co-promotion of products and contract service revenue primarily in the areas of dermatology and topical medication. Contract service revenue is derived primarily from contract manufacturing for third parties and is not material. See Note 19, "SEGMENT INFORMATION" for the disaggregation of revenue which depicts how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by the economic factors of each category of customer contracts. Product Sales The Company recognizes revenue when the customer obtains control of promised goods or services and in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve this core principle, the Company applies the five-step revenue model to contracts within its scope: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. A contract with the Company’s customers exists for each product sale. Where a contract with a customer contains more than one performance obligation, the Company allocates the transaction price to each distinct performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The transaction price is adjusted for variable consideration which is discussed further below. The Company generally recognizes revenue for product sales at a point in time, when the customer obtains control of the products. Product Sales Provisions As is customary in the pharmaceutical industry, gross product sales are subject to a variety of deductions in arriving at reported net product sales. The transaction price for product sales is typically adjusted for variable consideration, which may be in the form of cash discounts, allowances, returns, rebates, chargebacks and distribution fees paid to customers. Provisions for variable consideration are established to reflect the Company’s best estimates of the amount of consideration to which it is entitled based on the terms of the contract. The amount of variable consideration included in the transaction price may be constrained, and is included in the net sales price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of the cumulative revenue recognized will not occur in the future period. Provisions for these deductions are recorded concurrently with the recognition of gross product sales revenue and include cash discounts and allowances, chargebacks, and distribution fees, which are paid to direct customers, as well as rebates and returns, which can be paid to direct and indirect customers. Returns provision balances and volume discounts to direct customers are included in Accrued and other current liabilities. All other provisions related to direct customers are included in Trade receivables, net, while provision balances related to indirect customers are included in Accrued and other current liabilities.