2.2.0.25truefalse41604 - Disclosure - Segment Information (Schedule of Revenues from Each Customer Who Individually Accounted for 10% or More as a % of Total Revenues) (Details)truefalsefalse1falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_12_31_201028http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal Health, Inc. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_CardinalHealthIncMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli02falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
Duration_1_1_2009_To_12_31_200923http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal Health, Inc. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_CardinalHealthIncMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli03falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008
Duration_1_1_2008_To_12_31_20084http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2008-01-01T00:00:002008-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal Health, Inc. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_CardinalHealthIncMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli01false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.gilead.com/taxonomy/role/disclosuresegmentinformationscheduleofrevenuesfromeachcustomerwhoindividuallyaccountedfor10ormoreasoftotalrevenuesdetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_12_31_201028http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal Health, Inc. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_CardinalHealthIncMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli02falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
Duration_1_1_2009_To_12_31_200923http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal Health, Inc. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_CardinalHealthIncMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli03falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008
Duration_1_1_2008_To_12_31_20084http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2008-01-01T00:00:002008-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal Health, Inc. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_CardinalHealthIncMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse2false0gild_PercentageOfTotalRevenuesFromCustomergildfalsenadurationThe percentage of total revenues from the customer.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truetruefalse0.170.17falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.180.18falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3truetruefalse0.210.21falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:percentItemTypepureThe percentage of total revenues from the customer.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse3false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.gilead.com/taxonomy/role/disclosuresegmentinformationscheduleofrevenuesfromeachcustomerwhoindividuallyaccountedfor10ormoreasoftotalrevenuesdetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse4falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : McKesson Corp. [Member]
1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_12_31_201029http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corp. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_MckessonCorpMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli05falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : McKesson Corp. [Member]
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
Duration_1_1_2009_To_12_31_200924http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corp. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_MckessonCorpMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli06falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : McKesson Corp. [Member]
1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008
Duration_1_1_2008_To_12_31_20085http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2008-01-01T00:00:002008-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corp. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_MckessonCorpMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse4false0gild_PercentageOfTotalRevenuesFromCustomergildfalsenadurationThe percentage of total revenues from the customer.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truetruefalse0.140.14falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.130.13falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3truetruefalse0.160.16falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:percentItemTypepureThe percentage of total revenues from the customer.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse5false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.gilead.com/taxonomy/role/disclosuresegmentinformationscheduleofrevenuesfromeachcustomerwhoindividuallyaccountedfor10ormoreasoftotalrevenuesdetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse7falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : AmerisourceBergen Corp. [Member]
1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_12_31_201027http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseAmerisourceBergen Corp. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_AmerisourcebergenCorpMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli08falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : AmerisourceBergen Corp. [Member]
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
Duration_1_1_2009_To_12_31_200922http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseAmerisourceBergen Corp. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_AmerisourcebergenCorpMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli09falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : AmerisourceBergen Corp. [Member]
1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008
Duration_1_1_2008_To_12_31_20083http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2008-01-01T00:00:002008-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseAmerisourceBergen Corp. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_AmerisourcebergenCorpMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse6false0gild_PercentageOfTotalRevenuesFromCustomergildfalsenadurationThe percentage of total revenues from the customer.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truetruefalse0.120.12falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.110.11falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3truetruefalse0.110.11falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:percentItemTypepureThe percentage of total revenues from the customer.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse36Segment Information (Schedule of Revenues from Each Customer Who Individually Accounted for 10% or More as a % of Total Revenues) (Details)UnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruetrue
