2.2.0.25truefalse40102 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Reconciliation of the Numerator and Denominator Used in the Calculation of Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share) (Details)truefalseIn Thousandsfalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011 USD ($) USD ($) / shares $Duration_1_1_2011_To_3_31_2011http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00Unit12Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170Unit14Dividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0Unit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0Unit1Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0Unit15Standardhttp://www.gilead.com/2011-03-31yearsgild0USDUSD$2falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2010 - 3/31/2010 USD ($) USD ($) / shares $Duration_1_1_2010_To_3_31_2010http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-03-31T00:00:00Unit12Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170Unit1Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0Unit14Dividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDUSD$2false0us-gaap_NetIncomeLossus-gaaptruecreditdurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1truefalsefalse651141000651141falsetruefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse854901000854901falsetruefalsefalsefalseMonetaryxbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryThe portion of consolidated profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent. If the entity does not present consolidated financial statements, the amount of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 19 -Article 5 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) -Number 51 -Paragraph 38 -Subparagraph d Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) -Number 51 -Paragraph A7 -Appendix A Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) -Number 51 -Paragraph 38 -Subparagraph a Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Paragraph 20 -Article 9 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 130 -Paragraph 10, 15 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) -Number 87-21 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 95 -Paragraph 28, 29, 30 falsefalse3false0us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesOutstandingBasicus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1truefalsefalse796115000796115falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse901606000901606falsefalsefalsefalsefalseSharesxbrli:sharesItemTypesharesNumber of [basic] shares, after adjustment for contingently issuable shares and other shares not deemed outstanding, determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that common shares have been outstanding to the total time in that period.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 128 -Paragraph 171 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 128 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph a Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 128 -Paragraph 8 falsefalse4false0us-gaap_IncrementalCommonSharesAttributableToShareBasedPaymentArrangementsus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truefalsefalse1500700015007falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse2076600020766falsefalsefalsefalsefalseSharesxbrli:sharesItemTypesharesAggregate awards of share options and nonvested shares to be issued to an employee under a share-based compensation arrangement are considered options for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share. Such share-based awards shall be considered to be outstanding as of the grant date for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share even though their exercise may be contingent upon vesting. Those share-based awards are included in the diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) computation even if the employee may not receive (or be able to sell) the stock until some future date. Accordingly, all shares to be issued shall be included in computing diluted EPS if the effect is dilutive. The dilutive effect of share-based compensation arrangements shall be computed using the treasury stock method. If the equity share options or other equity instruments are outstanding for only part of a period, the shares issuable shall be weighted to reflect the portion of the period during which the equity instruments were outstanding.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 128 -Paragraph 20 falsefalse5false0us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstandingus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truefalsefalse811857000811857falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse928368000928368falsefalsefalsefalsefalseSharesxbrli:sharesItemTypesharesThe average number of shares issued and outstanding that are used in calculating diluted EPS, determined based on the timing of issuance of shares in the period.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 128 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph a Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 128 -Paragraph 8 falsefalse6false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.gilead.com/taxonomy/role/disclosuresummaryofsignificantaccountingpoliciesreconciliationofnumeratoranddenominatorusedincalculationofbasicanddilutednetincomepersharedetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis} : 2011 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] 1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011 Duration_1_1_2011_To_3_31_2011_us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis_gild_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueInTwoThousandElevenMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00falsefalse2011 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueInTwoThousandElevenMemberus-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit1Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli04falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis} : 2011 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] 1/1/2010 - 3/31/2010 Duration_1_1_2010_To_3_31_2010_us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis_gild_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueInTwoThousandElevenMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-03-31T00:00:00falsefalse2011 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueInTwoThousandElevenMemberus-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit1Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse7false0us-gaap_IncrementalCommonSharesAttributableToConversionOfDebtSecuritiesus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truefalsefalse224000224falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse28550002855falsefalsefalsefalsefalseSharesxbrli:sharesItemTypesharesDebt securities outstanding shall be assumed to have been converted at the beginning of the period (or at time of issuance, if later), and the resulting common shares shall be included in common shares used to calculate diluted earnings per shares. The dilutive effect of convertible debt securities shall be reflected in diluted Earnings Per Share by application of the if-converted method.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 128 -Paragraph 26, 27, 28 falsefalse8false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.gilead.com/taxonomy/role/disclosuresummaryofsignificantaccountingpoliciesreconciliationofnumeratoranddenominatorusedincalculationofbasicanddilutednetincomepersharedetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse5falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis} : 2013 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] 1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011 Duration_1_1_2011_To_3_31_2011_us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis_gild_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueInTwoThousandThirteenMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00falsefalse2013 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueInTwoThousandThirteenMemberus-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit1Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli06falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis} : 2013 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] 1/1/2010 - 3/31/2010 Duration_1_1_2010_To_3_31_2010_us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis_gild_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueInTwoThousandThirteenMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-03-31T00:00:00falsefalse2013 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueInTwoThousandThirteenMemberus-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit1Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse9false0us-gaap_IncrementalCommonSharesAttributableToConversionOfDebtSecuritiesus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truefalsefalse511000511falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse31410003141falsefalsefalsefalsefalseSharesxbrli:sharesItemTypesharesDebt securities outstanding shall be assumed to have been converted at the beginning of the period (or at time of issuance, if later), and the resulting common shares shall be included in common shares used to calculate diluted earnings per shares. The dilutive effect of convertible debt securities shall be reflected in diluted Earnings Per Share by application of the if-converted method.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 128 -Paragraph 26, 27, 28 falsefalse28Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Reconciliation of the Numerator and Denominator Used in the Calculation of Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share) (Details) (USD $)ThousandsThousandsUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue