| Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block] |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | 2012 | | 2011 | Segment revenue—to unaffiliated customers: | | | | | | | Human pharmaceutical products: | | | | | | | Endocrinology | | $ | 7,304.4 |
| | $ | 6,810.9 |
| | $ | 6,806.7 |
| Neuroscience | | 7,216.2 |
| | 7,575.1 |
| | 9,723.8 |
| Oncology | | 3,268.5 |
| | 3,281.6 |
| | 3,322.2 |
| Cardiovascular | | 2,923.2 |
| | 2,632.5 |
| | 2,486.4 |
| Other pharmaceuticals | | 249.3 |
| | 266.8 |
| | 268.8 |
| Total human pharmaceutical products | | 20,961.6 |
| | 20,566.9 |
| | 22,607.9 |
| Animal health | | 2,151.5 |
| | 2,036.5 |
| | 1,678.6 |
| Total segment revenue | | $ | 23,113.1 |
| | $ | 22,603.4 |
| | $ | 24,286.5 |
| | | | | | | | Segment profits(1): | | | | | | | Human pharmaceutical products | | $ | 5,015.0 |
| | $ | 4,393.4 |
| | $ | 5,837.9 |
| Animal health | | 556.6 |
| | 508.1 |
| | 301.0 |
| Total segment profits | | $ | 5,571.6 |
| | $ | 4,901.5 |
| | $ | 6,138.9 |
| | | | | | | | Reconciliation of total segment profits to consolidated income before taxes: | | | | | | | Segment profits | | $ | 5,571.6 |
| | $ | 4,901.5 |
| | $ | 6,138.9 |
| Other profits (losses): | | | | | | | Income related to termination of the exenatide collaboration with Amylin (Note 4) | | 495.4 |
| | 787.8 |
| | — |
| Acquired in-process research and development (Notes 3 and 4) | | (57.1 | ) | | — |
| | (388.0 | ) | Asset impairment, restructuring, and other special charges (Note 5) | | (120.6 | ) | | (281.1 | ) | | (401.4 | ) | Total consolidated income before taxes | | $ | 5,889.3 |
| | $ | 5,408.2 |
| | $ | 5,349.5 |
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| Schedule of Revenue from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets, by Geographical Areas [Table Text Block] |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | 2012 | | 2011 | Geographic Information | | | | | | | Revenue—to unaffiliated customers(1): | | | | | | | United States | | $ | 12,889.7 |
| | $ | 12,313.1 |
| | $ | 12,977.2 |
| Europe | | 4,338.4 |
| | 4,259.7 |
| | 5,290.9 |
| Japan | | 2,063.8 |
| | 2,246.2 |
| | 2,104.1 |
| Other foreign countries | | 3,821.2 |
| | 3,784.4 |
| | 3,914.3 |
| Revenue | | $ | 23,113.1 |
| | $ | 22,603.4 |
| | $ | 24,286.5 |
| | | | | | | | Long-lived assets(2): | | | | | | | United States | | $ | 4,649.6 |
| | $ | 5,064.7 |
| | $ | 5,485.3 |
| Europe | | 2,469.7 |
| | 2,281.1 |
| | 2,220.2 |
| Japan | | 81.1 |
| | 101.5 |
| | 102.9 |
| Other foreign countries | | 1,540.9 |
| | 1,543.2 |
| | 1,564.0 |
| Long-lived assets | | $ | 8,741.3 |
| | $ | 8,990.5 |
| | $ | 9,372.4 |
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