Segment Reporting (Policy)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting Policy

We operate primarily through three business segments: diagnostic and information technology-based products and services for the veterinary market, which we refer to as CAG, water quality testing products ("Water") and products for livestock and poultry health, which we refer to as Livestock and Poultry Diagnostics ("LPD"). We also operate two smaller operating segments that comprise products for testing milk quality ("Dairy") and products for the human point-of-care medical diagnostics market ("OPTI Medical"). Financial information about our Dairy and OPTI Medical operating segments is combined and presented with one of our remaining pharmaceutical product lines and our out-licensing arrangements in an "Other" category because they do not meet the quantitative or qualitative thresholds for reportable segments.

The accounting policies of the segments are consistent with those discussed in Notes 1 and 15 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, except for the change in our measure of segment profitability during the three months ended March 31, 2011 as discussed below. Intersegment revenues, which are not included in the table below, were not significant for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010.

On January 1, 2011, we changed the measure of profitability for our reportable segments. As a result of this change, a portion of corporate support function expenses and personnel-related expenses, certain manufacturing costs and certain foreign currency exchange gains and losses are no longer allocated to our reportable segments and, instead, are reported under the caption "Unallocated Amounts." Similar to our treatment of share-based compensation expense, we estimate corporate support function expenses and certain personnel-related costs and allocate the estimated expense to the operating segments. This allocation differs from the actual expense and consequently yields a difference that is now reported under the caption "Unallocated Amounts."  With respect to manufacturing costs, the costs reported in our operating segments include our standard cost for products sold and any variances from standard cost for products purchased or manufactured within the period. We capitalize these variances for inventory on hand at the end of the period to record inventory in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We then record these costs as cost of product revenue as that inventory is sold. The impact to cost of product revenue resulting from this variance capitalization and subsequent expense recognition is now reported within the caption "Unallocated Amounts." Prior to January 1, 2011, "Unallocated Amounts" included primarily corporate research and development expenses that did not align with one of our existing business or service categories and the difference between estimated and actual share-based compensation expense. The segment income (loss) from operations discussed within this report for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010 have been restated to conform to our new measure of segment profitability. This change in measure of segment profitability did not have a material impact on the results of operations for any of our individual segments. There was no change to the business composition of our reportable segments.