Business Combinations (Pro Forma Information) (Details) - NPS Pharma - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Pro Forma Information
Revenues	$ 4,730.9	$ 4,603.4
Net income from continuing operations	$ 1,005.6	$ 1,028.8
Net income from continuing operations per share - basic	$ 1.704	$ 1.755
Net income from continuing operations per share - diluted	$ 1.695	$ 1.738
Pro Forma Data Adjustments
An adjustment to increase amortization of intangible assets	$ (21.2)	$ (126.5)
Increase/(decrease) to net income to reflect acquisition related costs	105.2	(105.2)
Decrease to net income to reflect the additional interest expense		(16.7)
Increase/(decrease) to net income to reflect the fair value adjustment to acquisition date inventory.	$ 13.4	$ (13.4)

No definition available.

Name:	shpgf_BusinessAcquisitionProFormaDataAdjustmentsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

An adjustment to net income to reflect the acquisition and integration costs incurred in relation to the acquisition.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	shpgf_BusinessAcquisitionProFormaDataAdjustmentsAcquisitionAndIntegrationCosts
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A pro forma adjustment to increase (decrease) amortization of an acquired intangible asset resulting from an assumed earlier acquisition date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	shpgf_BusinessAcquisitionProFormaDataAdjustmentsAmortizationOfIntangibleAsset
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A pro forma adjustment to increase interest expense associated with the debt issued to partially finance the acquisition.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	shpgf_BusinessAcquisitionProFormaDataAdjustmentsInterestIncomeExpense
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

An adjustment to net income to reflect the acquisition and integration costs incurred in relation to the acquisition.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	shpgf_Businessacquisitionproformadataadjustmentsinventoryfairvalue
Namespace Prefix:	shpgf_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The pro forma income from continuing operations before changes in accounting and extraordinary items, net of tax effect per basic share of common stock for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (h)(2)-(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25497992&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionProFormaIncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeChangesInAccountingAndExtraordinaryItemsNetOfTaxPerShareBasic
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The pro forma income from continuing operations before changes in accounting and extraordinary items, net of tax effect, per diluted share of common stock for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionProFormaIncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeChangesInAccountingAndExtraordinaryItemsNetOfTaxPerShareDiluted
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The pro forma income from continuing operations before changes in accounting and extraordinary items, net of tax effect, for the period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionsProFormaIncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeChangesInAccountingAndExtraordinaryItemsNetOfTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The pro forma revenue for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of the period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionsProFormaRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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