UNCONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURE (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Mar. 31, 2013 Strides Arcolab Limited [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Akorn-Strides LLC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Akorn-Strides LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Akorn-Strides LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Joint venture ownership percentage (in hundredths)						50.00%
Joint venture sale of rights	$ 35,000,000				$ 28,200,000	$ 63,200,000
Joint venture gain on sale of rights	63,100,000		24,200,000	38,900,000
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF INCOME [Abstract]
Revenues						155,000	0
Cost of sales						0	0
Gross profit						155,000	0
Operating expenses	20,556,000	23,239,000				2,000	0
Operating income						153,000	0
Income before income taxes	16,257,000	5,242,000				153,000	0
Income tax provision	5,415,000	2,134,000				0	0
Net income						153,000	0
Assets [Abstract]
Cash						794,000		794,000
Other assets						0		0
Total assets						794,000		794,000
Liabilities and members' equity [Abstract]
Trade accounts payable and other accrued liabilities						111,000		308,000
Accounts payable - members						167,000		123,000
Total liabilities						278,000		431,000
Members' equity (deficit), net of advances						516,000		363,000
Total liabilities & members' deficit						$ 794,000		$ 794,000