Fair Value Measurement (Details) (USD $) In Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 8.3	$ 83.9
Contingent Consideration Receivable, Fair Value Disclosure	45.8	61.0
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	5.6	3.7
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure	2.3	2.7
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Nonrecurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Convertible bonds	1,100.0	0
Convertible bonds	0	1,100.0
Fair Value, by Balance Sheet Grouping, Methodology
Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure, Methodology	the fair values of available-for-sale securities are estimated based on quoted market prices for those investments
Foreign Currency Contract, Fair Value Disclosure, Methodology	the fair values of the swap and forward foreign exchange contracts have been determined using an income approach based on current market expectations about the future cash flows.
Convertible Debt, Fair Value Disclosure, Methodology	the fair value of Shire’s $1,100 million 2.75% convertible bonds due 2014 is determined by reference to the market price of the instrument as the convertible bonds are publicly traded.
Capital Lease Obligations, Fair Value Disclosure, Methodology	the fair value of building finance obligations are estimated based on the present value of future cash flows, and an estimate of the residual value of the underlying property at the end of the lease term, associated with these obligations.
Divestiture, Contingent Consideration Receivable, Fair Value Disclosure, Methodology	the income approach
Carrying (Reported) Amount
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Nonrecurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Capital Lease Obligations	8.3	8.4
Convertible bonds	1,100.0
Convertible bonds		1,100.0
Carrying (Reported) Amount
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	8.3	83.9
Contingent Consideration Receivable, Fair Value Disclosure	45.8	61.0
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	5.6	3.7
Carrying (Reported) Amount
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure	2.3	2.7
Fair Value, Level 1
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	8.3	83.9
Contingent Consideration Receivable, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Fair Value, Level 1
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Fair Value, Level 2
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Contingent Consideration Receivable, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	5.6	3.7
Fair Value, Level 2
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure	2.3	2.7
Fair Value, Level 3
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Available-for-Sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Contingent Consideration Receivable, Fair Value Disclosure	45.8	61.0
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Fair Value, Level 3
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Estimate of Fair Value
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Nonrecurring Basis, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Building Financing Obligation, Fair Value Disclosure	9.8	8.2
Convertible Bond, Fair Value Disclosures	$ 1,250.2	$ 1,139.8

The fair value as of the balance sheet date of capitalized lease obligations.

Name:	shpgf_CapitalLeaseObligationsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents management's methodology (for example, procedures or techniques) for estimating the fair value as of the balance sheet date of the financial instrument (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined).

+ Details

Name:	shpgf_CapitalLeaseObligationsFairValueDisclosureMethodology
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	shpgf_ContingentConsiderationReceivableFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

+ Details

Name:	shpgf_DivestitureContingentConsiderationReceivableFairValueDisclosureMethodology
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ Details

Name:	shpgf_ForeignCurrencyContractFairValueDisclosureMethodology
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the portion of the balance sheet assertion valued at fair value by the entity whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. This item represents Available-for-sale Securities which consist of all investments in certain debt and equity securities neither classified as trading or held-to-maturity securities. A debt security represents a creditor relationship with an enterprise. Debt securities include, among other items, US Treasury securities, US government securities, municipal securities, corporate bonds, convertible debt, commercial paper, and all securitized debt instruments. An equity security represents an ownership interest in an enterprise or the right to acquire or dispose of an ownership interest in an enterprise at fixed or determinable prices. Equity securities include, among other things, common stock, certain preferred stock, warrant rights, call options, and put options, but do not include convertible debt. An entity may opt to provide the reader with additional narrative text to better understand the nature of investments in debt and equity securities which are categorized as Available-for-sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 115

-Paragraph 12

-Subparagraph b

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 107

-Paragraph 10

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 157

-Paragraph 32

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesFairValueDisclosureMethodology
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount equal to the present value (the principal) at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the lease term (excluding that portion of the payments representing executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes to be paid by the lessor, together with any profit thereon) net of payments or other amounts applied to the principal through the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 7

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The portion of the carrying value of long-term convertible debt as of the balance sheet date that is scheduled to be repaid within one year or in the normal operating cycle if longer. Convertible debt is a financial instrument which can be exchanged for a specified amount of another security, typically the entity's common stock, at the option of the issuer or the holder.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 20

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtFairValueDisclosureMethodology
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtFairValueDisclosures
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying amount of long-term convertible debt as of the balance sheet date, net of the amount due in the next twelve months or greater than the normal operating cycle, if longer. The debt is convertible into another form of financial instrument, typically the entity's common stock.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
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.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssetsMeasuredOnNonrecurringBasisFinancialStatementCaptionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssetsMeasuredOnRecurringBasisFinancialStatementCaptionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByBalanceSheetGroupingMethodologyAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueLiabilitiesMeasuredOnRecurringBasisFinancialStatementCaptionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractsLiabilityFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant