BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION [Abstract]
BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	NOTE 1 - BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Business: Akorn, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") manufacture and market a full line of diagnostic and therapeutic ophthalmic pharmaceuticals as well as niche hospital drugs and injectable pharmaceuticals. In addition, through its subsidiary Advanced Vision Research, Inc. ("AVR"), the Company manufactures and markets a line of over-the-counter ("OTC") ophthalmic products for the treatment of dry eye, eyelid hygiene and macular degeneration primarily under the TheraTears® brand name. The Company is a manufacturer and marketer of diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical products in various specialty areas, including ophthalmology, antidotes, anti-infectives and controlled substances for pain management and anesthesia, among others. The Company operates pharmaceutical manufacturing plants domestically in Decatur, Illinois and Somerset, New Jersey, and internationally in Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India, a central distribution warehouse in Gurnee, Illinois, an R&D center in Skokie, Illinois and corporate offices in Lake Forest, Illinois. Customers of the Company's products include physicians, optometrists, chain drug stores, group purchasing organizations and their member hospitals, alternate site providers, wholesalers, distributors, retail chains, and other pharmaceutical companies. In addition, the Company is a 50% investor in a limited liability company, Akorn-Strides, LLC (the "Joint Venture Company"), which formerly developed and manufactured injectable pharmaceutical products for sale in the United States. The Joint Venture Company sold all of its Abbreviated New Drug Applications ("ANDAs") to Pfizer, Inc. ("Pfizer") in December 2010 and discontinued product sales in June 2011. The Company accounts for the Joint Venture Company using the equity method of accounting. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Akorn, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Basis of Presentation: The Company's financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and accordingly do not include all the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal and recurring nature considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included in these financial statements. Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes for the year ended December 31, 2011, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed March 15, 2012. The Company has considered the accounting and disclosure of events occurring after the balance sheet date through the filing date of this Form 10-Q.

NOTE 1 - BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Business: Akorn, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") manufacture and market a full line of diagnostic and therapeutic ophthalmic pharmaceuticals as well as niche hospital drugs and injectable pharmaceuticals. In addition, through its subsidiary Advanced Vision Research, Inc. ("AVR"), the Company manufactures and markets a line of over-the-counter ("OTC") ophthalmic products for the treatment of dry eye, eyelid hygiene and macular degeneration primarily under the TheraTears® brand name. The Company is a manufacturer and marketer of diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical products in various specialty areas, including ophthalmology, antidotes, anti-infectives and controlled substances for pain management and anesthesia, among others. The Company operates pharmaceutical manufacturing plants domestically in Decatur, Illinois and Somerset, New Jersey, and internationally in Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India, a central distribution warehouse in Gurnee, Illinois, an R&D center in Skokie, Illinois and corporate offices in Lake Forest, Illinois. Customers of the Company's products include physicians, optometrists, chain drug stores, group purchasing organizations and their member hospitals, alternate site providers, wholesalers, distributors, retail chains, and other pharmaceutical companies. In addition, the Company is a 50% investor in a limited liability company, Akorn-Strides, LLC (the "Joint Venture Company"), which formerly developed and manufactured injectable pharmaceutical products for sale in the United States. The Joint Venture Company sold all of its Abbreviated New Drug Applications ("ANDAs") to Pfizer, Inc. ("Pfizer") in December 2010 and discontinued product sales in June 2011. The Company accounts for the Joint Venture Company using the equity method of accounting. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Akorn, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Basis of Presentation: The Company's financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and accordingly do not include all the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal and recurring nature considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included in these financial statements. Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes for the year ended December 31, 2011, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed March 15, 2012.

The Company has considered the accounting and disclosure of events occurring after the balance sheet date through the filing date of this Form 10-Q.