Borrowings and Capital Lease (Senior Notes Related to Baxalta Acquisition) (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying amount	$ 17,956,000,000	$ 19,899,800,000
Baxalta notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount	5,000,000,000
Baxalta notes \| Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying amount	5,065,200,000
Baxalta notes \| Senior Notes \| Variable-rate notes due 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount	$ 375,000,000
Effective Interest Rate	2.60%
Carrying amount	$ 373,300,000
Baxalta notes \| Senior Notes \| Variable-rate notes due 2018 \| LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Effective Interest Rate, Variable Rate	0.78%
Baxalta notes \| Senior Notes \| Fixed-rate notes due 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount	$ 375,000,000
Coupon rate	2.00%
Effective Interest Rate	2.00%
Carrying amount	$ 374,900,000
Baxalta notes \| Senior Notes \| Fixed-rate notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount	$ 1,000,000,000
Coupon rate	2.875%
Effective Interest Rate	2.80%
Carrying amount	$ 1,004,300,000
Baxalta notes \| Senior Notes \| Fixed-rate notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount	$ 500,000,000
Coupon rate	3.60%
Effective Interest Rate	3.30%
Carrying amount	$ 507,200,000
Baxalta notes \| Senior Notes \| Fixed-rate notes due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount	$ 1,750,000,000
Coupon rate	4.00%
Effective Interest Rate	3.90%
Carrying amount	$ 1,774,600,000
Baxalta notes \| Senior Notes \| Fixed-rate notes due 2045
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount	$ 1,000,000,000
Coupon rate	5.25%
Effective Interest Rate	5.20%
Carrying amount	$ 1,030,900,000

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=shpgf_BaxaltaIncorporatedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=shpgf_VariableRateNotesDue2018Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=shpgf_FixedRateNotesDue2018Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=shpgf_FixedRateNotesDue2020Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=shpgf_FixedRateNotesDue2022Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=shpgf_FixedRateNotesDue2025Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=shpgf_FixedRateNotesDue2045Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: