Document And Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Apr. 07, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K/A
Document Annual Report	true
Document Transition Report	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2019
Entity File Number	001-32360
Entity Registrant Name	AKORN, INC
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	LA
Entity Tax Identification Number	72-0717400
Entity Address, Address Line One	1925 W. Field Court
Entity Address, Address Line Two	Suite 300
Entity Address, City or Town	Lake Forest
Entity Address, State or Province	IL
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	60045
Local Phone Number	279-6100
City Area Code	847
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, No Par Value
Trading Symbol	AKRX
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		132,990,343
Entity Public Float			$ 497.2
Amendment Description	This Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (the “Form 10-K/A”) is being filed by Akorn, Inc. (the “Company”) in order to disclose information required by Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III, which was previously omitted in reliance on Instruction G to Form 10-K from its Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Original Form 10-K”) for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 26, 2020. The Company is not filing its definitive proxy statement for its 2020 annual stockholder meeting within 120 days of the end of its most recent fiscal year as required under Instruction G to Form 10-K in order to incorporate information contained in the definitive proxy statement into the Original Form 10-K and list additional exhibits. This Form 10-K/A discloses such information. In connection with the filing of this Form 10-K/A and pursuant to the rules of the SEC, we are including with this Form 10-K/A certain other exhibits, including certifications with respect to this filing by our principal executive officer and principal financial officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; accordingly, Item 15 of Part IV has also been amended to reflect the filing of these new exhibits. Because no financial statements have been included in this Form 10-K/A and this Form 10-K/A does not contain or amend any disclosure with respect to Items 307 and 308 of Regulation S-K, paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of the certifications have been omitted. We are not including the certifications under Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 as no financial statements are being filed with this Form 10-K/A. This Form 10-K/A is limited in scope to the items identified above and should be read in conjunction with the Original Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC. This Form 10-K/A does not reflect events occurring after the filing of the Original Form 10-K or modify or update those disclosures affected by subsequent events. Consequently, all other information is unchanged and reflects the disclosures made at the time of the filing of the Original Form 10-K.
Amendment Flag	true
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Central Index Key	0000003116
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY