2.2.0.25truefalse41304 - Disclosure - Segment Information (Schedule of Revenues From Each Customer Who Individually Accounted for 10% or More of Total Revenues) (Details)truefalsefalse1falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011
Duration_1_1_2011_To_3_31_2011_us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis_gild_CardinalHealthIncMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal 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]
1/1/2010 - 3/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_3_31_2010_us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis_gild_CardinalHealthIncMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-03-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal 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/disclosuresegmentinformationscheduleofrevenuesfromeachcustomerwhoindividuallyaccountedfor10ormoreoftotalrevenuesdetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011
Duration_1_1_2011_To_3_31_2011_us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis_gild_CardinalHealthIncMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal 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]
1/1/2010 - 3/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_3_31_2010_us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis_gild_CardinalHealthIncMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-03-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal 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.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truetruefalse0.17000.1700falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.16000.1600falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:percentItemTypepureThe percentage of total revenues from the customer.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse3false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.gilead.com/taxonomy/role/disclosuresegmentinformationscheduleofrevenuesfromeachcustomerwhoindividuallyaccountedfor10ormoreoftotalrevenuesdetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : McKesson Corp. [Member]
1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011
Duration_1_1_2011_To_3_31_2011_us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis_gild_MckessonCorpMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corp. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_MckessonCorpMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli04falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : McKesson Corp. [Member]
1/1/2010 - 3/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_3_31_2010_us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis_gild_MckessonCorpMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-03-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson 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.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truetruefalse0.15000.1500falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.13000.1300falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:percentItemTypepureThe percentage of total revenues from the customer.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse5false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.gilead.com/taxonomy/role/disclosuresegmentinformationscheduleofrevenuesfromeachcustomerwhoindividuallyaccountedfor10ormoreoftotalrevenuesdetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse5falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : AmerisourceBergen Corp. [Member]
1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011
Duration_1_1_2011_To_3_31_2011_us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis_gild_AmerisourcebergenCorpMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00falsefalseAmerisourceBergen Corp. [Member]us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldigild_AmerisourcebergenCorpMemberus-gaap_MajorCustomersAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli06falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis} : AmerisourceBergen Corp. [Member]
1/1/2010 - 3/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_3_31_2010_us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis_gild_AmerisourcebergenCorpMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000882095duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-03-31T00:00:00falsefalseAmerisourceBergen 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.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truetruefalse0.13000.1300falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.12000.1200falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:percentItemTypepureThe percentage of total revenues from the customer.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse26Segment Information (Schedule of Revenues From Each Customer Who Individually Accounted for 10% or More of Total Revenues) (Details)UnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruetrue