Background	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Background	Background Epocrates, Inc. (“Epocrates” or the “Company”) was incorporated in California in August 1998 as nCircle Communications, Inc. In September 1999, the Company changed its name to ePocrates, Inc., and in May 2006, the Company reincorporated in Delaware and changed its name to Epocrates, Inc. The Company is a leading physician platform for essential clinical content, practice tools and health industry engagement at the point of care. Most commonly used on mobile devices, the Company’s products help healthcare professionals make more informed prescribing decisions, enhance patient safety and improve practice productivity. Through the Company’s interactive services, it provides the healthcare industry, primarily pharmaceutical companies, opportunities to engage with its member network through delivery of targeted information and to conduct market research. Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) On February 1, 2011, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-168176) was declared effective for its IPO, pursuant to which it registered the offering and sale of 5,360,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $16.00 per share and an aggregate offering price of $85.8 million, of which 3,574,285 shares were sold by the Company for an aggregate offering price of $57.2 million, and 1,785,715 shares were sold by the selling stockholders for an aggregate offering price of $28.6 million. On February 3, 2011, the over-allotment option of 804,000 shares was exercised at a price of $16.00 per share for an aggregate of $12.9 million, all of which were sold by the Company, and the offering was completed with all of the shares subject to the registration statement having been sold. As a result of the Company’s IPO and the exercise of the over-allotment option on February 3, 2011, both of which closed on February 7, 2011, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $64.2 million, after underwriting discounts and commissions of $4.9 million. In addition, the Company incurred other expenses associated with its IPO of approximately $3.0 million. From these proceeds, aggregate cumulative dividends to the holders of Epocrates’ Series B preferred stock were paid in full, in the amount of approximately $29.6 million. Upon the consummation of the IPO, the outstanding shares of the Company’s preferred stock were converted into an aggregate of 11,089,201 shares of common stock. After the completion of the IPO on February 7, 2011, the Company amended its certificate of incorporation and increased its authorized number of shares of common stock to 100,000,000 and reduced the authorized number of shares of preferred stock to 10,000,000. The Company also established the par value of each share of common and preferred stock to be $0.001 per share. Common Stock Split An Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation for a 1-for-0.786 reverse split approved by the Company’s Board of Directors on November 18, 2010, was filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on January 28, 2011 and was effected upon the closing of the IPO. All information related to common stock, stock options, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and earnings per share, as well as all references to preferred stock or preferred stock warrants as converted into common stock, has been retroactively adjusted to give effect to the reverse split.

Background

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Epocrates, Inc. (“Epocrates” or the “Company”) was incorporated in California in August 1998 as nCircle Communications, Inc. In September 1999, the Company changed its name to ePocrates, Inc., and in May 2006, the Company reincorporated in Delaware and changed its name to Epocrates, Inc.

The Company is a leading physician platform for essential clinical content, practice tools and health industry engagement at the point of care. Most commonly used on mobile devices, the Company’s products help healthcare professionals make more informed prescribing decisions, enhance patient safety and improve practice productivity. Through the Company’s interactive services, it provides the healthcare industry, primarily pharmaceutical companies, opportunities to engage with its member network through delivery of targeted information and to conduct market research.

Initial Public Offering (“IPO”)

On February 1, 2011, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-168176) was declared effective for its IPO, pursuant to which it registered the offering and sale of 5,360,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $16.00 per share and an aggregate offering price of $85.8 million, of which 3,574,285 shares were sold by the Company for an aggregate offering price of $57.2 million, and 1,785,715 shares were sold by the selling stockholders for an aggregate offering price of $28.6 million. On February 3, 2011, the over-allotment option of 804,000 shares was exercised at a price of $16.00 per share for an aggregate of $12.9 million, all of which were sold by the Company, and the offering was completed with all of the shares subject to the registration statement having been sold.

As a result of the Company’s IPO and the exercise of the over-allotment option on February 3, 2011, both of which closed on February 7, 2011, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $64.2 million, after underwriting discounts and commissions of $4.9 million. In addition, the Company incurred other expenses associated with its IPO of approximately $3.0 million. From these proceeds, aggregate cumulative dividends to the holders of Epocrates’ Series B preferred stock were paid in full, in the amount of approximately $29.6 million. Upon the consummation of the IPO, the outstanding shares of the Company’s preferred stock were converted into an aggregate of 11,089,201 shares of common stock.

After the completion of the IPO on February 7, 2011, the Company amended its certificate of incorporation and increased its authorized number of shares of common stock to 100,000,000 and reduced the authorized number of shares of preferred stock to 10,000,000. The Company also established the par value of each share of common and preferred stock to be $0.001 per share.

Common Stock Split

An Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation for a 1-for-0.786 reverse split approved by the Company’s Board of Directors on November 18, 2010, was filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on January 28, 2011 and was effected upon the closing of the IPO. All information related to common stock, stock options, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and earnings per share, as well as all references to preferred stock or preferred stock warrants as converted into common stock, has been retroactively adjusted to give effect to the reverse split.