Financial Instruments and Concentration of Credit Risk - Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013 QLT USA and Eligard [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Reclassification [Member] Laser Earn-Out Payment [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Accounts receivable		$ 4,000
Cost of capital	9.00%

Fair value portion of amount due from customers or clients for goods or services, including trade receivables, that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business, and amounts due from others, including related parties.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 14

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13487-108611

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph a, b

-Article 5

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant