Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 27, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	INCOME TAXES The worldwide effective income tax rates for the fiscal nine months of 2015 and 2014 were 21.0% and 22.7%, respectively. The lower effective tax rate in 2015 as compared to 2014 was primarily due to the 2014 divestiture of the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics business at an approximate 41.0% effective tax rate and the accrual of an additional year of the Branded Prescription Drug Fee, which is not tax deductible. This additional 2014 tax expense was partially offset by a benefit from the Conor Medsystems divestiture, a settlement of substantially all issues related to the Company's U.S. Internal Revenue Service audit of tax years 2006 - 2009 and the federal appeals court’s decision in OMJ Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s litigation regarding credits under former Section 936 of the Internal Revenue Code. Additionally, the effective tax rate is lower in 2015 as compared to 2014 as a result of the mix in foreign earnings to lower tax jurisdictions. As of September 27, 2015, the Company had approximately $2.6 billion of liabilities from unrecognized tax benefits. The Company believes it is possible that audits may be completed by tax authorities in some jurisdictions over the next twelve months. The Company is not able to provide a reasonably reliable estimate of the timing of any other future tax payments relating to uncertain tax positions.

Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 27, 2015

INCOME TAXES

The worldwide effective income tax rates for the fiscal nine months of 2015 and 2014 were 21.0% and 22.7%, respectively. The lower effective tax rate in 2015 as compared to 2014 was primarily due to the 2014 divestiture of the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics business at an approximate 41.0% effective tax rate and the accrual of an additional year of the Branded Prescription Drug Fee, which is not tax deductible. This additional 2014 tax expense was partially offset by a benefit from the Conor Medsystems divestiture, a settlement of substantially all issues related to the Company's U.S. Internal Revenue Service audit of tax years 2006 - 2009 and the federal appeals court’s decision in OMJ Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s litigation regarding credits under former Section 936 of the Internal Revenue Code. Additionally, the effective tax rate is lower in 2015 as compared to 2014 as a result of the mix in foreign earnings to lower tax jurisdictions.

As of September 27, 2015, the Company had approximately $2.6 billion of liabilities from unrecognized tax benefits. The Company believes it is possible that audits may be completed by tax authorities in some jurisdictions over the next twelve months. The Company is not able to provide a reasonably reliable estimate of the timing of any other future tax payments relating to uncertain tax positions.