SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") U.S. Neurology and Other	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") U.S. Neurology and Other	Jun. 30, 2011 U.S. Neurology and Other	Jun. 30, 2010 U.S. Neurology and Other	Jun. 30, 2011 U.S. Neurology and Other	Jun. 30, 2010 U.S. Neurology and Other	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") U.S. Dermatology	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") U.S. Dermatology	Jun. 30, 2011 Product brands U.S. Dermatology	Jun. 30, 2011 Meda Pharma SARL ("Meda") U.S. Dermatology	Jun. 30, 2011 U.S. Dermatology	Jun. 30, 2010 U.S. Dermatology	Jun. 30, 2011 U.S. Dermatology	Jun. 30, 2010 U.S. Dermatology	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") Canada and Australia	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") Canada and Australia	Jun. 30, 2011 Canada and Australia	Jun. 30, 2010 Canada and Australia	Jun. 30, 2011 Canada and Australia	Jun. 30, 2010 Canada and Australia	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") Branded Generics - Europe	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") Branded Generics - Europe	Jun. 30, 2011 PharmaSwiss S.A. Branded Generics - Europe	Jun. 30, 2011 PharmaSwiss S.A. Branded Generics - Europe	Jun. 30, 2011 Branded Generics - Europe	Jun. 30, 2010 Branded Generics - Europe	Jun. 30, 2011 Branded Generics - Europe	Jun. 30, 2010 Branded Generics - Europe	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") Branded Generics - Latin America	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") Branded Generics - Latin America	Jun. 30, 2011 Branded Generics - Latin America	Jun. 30, 2011 Branded Generics - Latin America	Jun. 30, 2011 Valeant Pharmaceuticals International ("Valeant") Meda Pharma SARL ("Meda")	Mar. 31, 2011 PharmaSwiss S.A.
Segment reporting information
Revenues	$ 609,387,000	$ 238,771,000	$ 1,174,413,000	$ 458,406,000		$ 54,400,000	$ 122,200,000	$ 234,503,000	$ 159,075,000	$ 444,102,000	$ 307,379,000	$ 75,600,000	$ 137,300,000			$ 109,853,000	$ 41,418,000	$ 262,560,000	$ 80,392,000	$ 48,200,000	$ 91,400,000	$ 84,000,000	$ 28,884,000	$ 154,244,000	$ 53,396,000	$ 43,400,000	$ 95,600,000	$ 65,400,000	$ 81,600,000	$ 116,300,000	$ 9,394,000	$ 192,393,000	$ 17,239,000	$ 64,700,000	$ 121,100,000	$ 64,731,000	$ 121,114,000
Segment profit (loss)	201,836,000	97,861,000	356,516,000	205,058,000				137,749,000	63,067,000	237,258,000	139,729,000					38,938,000	16,359,000	73,746,000	31,902,000			29,677,000	11,617,000	50,599,000	21,135,000					(6,668,000)	6,818,000	(1,280,000)	12,292,000			2,140,000	(3,798,000)
Corporate	(48,123,000)	(28,349,000)	(106,228,000)	(67,563,000)
Restructuring and other costs	(27,626,000)	(2,881,000)	(45,165,000)	(3,494,000)
Acquired IPR&D	(2,000,000)	(10,242,000)	(4,000,000)	(61,245,000)
Acquisition-related costs	(1,869,000)	(7,577,000)	(3,376,000)	(7,577,000)																																		(600,000)	(1,400,000)
Legal settlements	(2,000,000)		(2,400,000)
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	1,752,000	0	2,138,000	0
Operating income	118,466,000	48,812,000	193,209,000	65,179,000
Interest income	1,086,000	234,000	1,889,000	422,000
Interest expense	(83,073,000)	(9,952,000)	(151,824,000)	(19,779,000)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(14,748,000)		(23,010,000)
Foreign exchange and other	847,000	667,000	3,654,000	44,000
Gain (loss) on investments, net	21,158,000	(392,000)	22,927,000	(547,000)
Income before provision for (recovery of) income taxes	43,736,000	39,369,000	46,845,000	45,319,000
Segment profit (loss) impact of acqisition						2,000,000	19,000,000					14,600,000	36,400,000							8,800,000	18,400,000					7,300,000	17,000,000	23,600,000	28,700,000					11,900,000	27,900,000
Share-based compensation expense	25,558,000	1,895,000	55,451,000	3,552,000
Assets	11,827,873,000		11,827,873,000		10,795,117,000
Increase in total assets			1,032,800,000
Percentage increase in total assets (as a percent)			10.00%
Identifiable intangible assets	5,524,646,000		5,524,646,000		4,972,824,000									300,000,000	439,900,000
Acquired assets																												$ 585,000,000	$ 585,000,000