Name:	pcrx_AgreedMilestonePaymentsForSaleOfProductInConnectionWithAcquisition
Namespace Prefix:	pcrx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the threshold amount of annual net sales considered to determine the stage at which a specified amount of milestone payments for product is agreed to be paid by the entity, in connection with the acquisition.

No definition available.

Name:	pcrx_AnnualNetSalesThresholdForDeterminingMilestonePaymentsForProductInConnectionWithAcquisition
Namespace Prefix:	pcrx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the amount of contingent consideration liability established for sale of product in connection with acquisition.

No definition available.

Name:	pcrx_ContingentPaymentObligationEstablishedForSaleOfProductInConnectionWithAcquisition
Namespace Prefix:	pcrx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the amount recorded as goodwill for earn-out payments made by the entity based on a percentage of net sales of EXPAREL collected.

No definition available.

Name:	pcrx_GoodwillRecordedforEarnOutPayments
Namespace Prefix:	pcrx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Goodwill Recorded on Milestone Payments

No definition available.

Name:	pcrx_GoodwillRecordedonMilestonePayments
Namespace Prefix:	pcrx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Net Sales Collected Threshold Which Triggers a Payment Obligation

No definition available.

Name:	pcrx_NetSalesCollectedThresholdWhichTriggersaPaymentObligation
Namespace Prefix:	pcrx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the payment obligation which the reporting entity is entitled to pay to other party on completion of first commercial sale of its product in connection with the acquisition.

No definition available.

Name:	pcrx_PaymentObligationArisingDueToFirstCommercialSaleOfProductInConnectionWithAcquisition
Namespace Prefix:	pcrx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Payment Obligation Arising Due to Net Sales Collected Threshold of $100 Million

No definition available.

Name:	pcrx_PaymentObligationArisingDuetoNetSalesCollectedThresholdof100Million
Namespace Prefix:	pcrx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Total Goodwill Recorded for Earn Out Payments - Cumulative

No definition available.

Name:	pcrx_TotalGoodwillRecordedforEarnOutPayments
Namespace Prefix:	pcrx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13770-109266

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77989000&loc=SL49117168-202975

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

Amount of increase in asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized resulting from a business combination.

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	pcrx_MilestonePaymentsForProductInConnectionWithAcquisitionByStageAtWhichTheyArePayableAxis=pcrx_UponFirstCommercialSaleInUnitedStatesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	pcrx_MilestonePaymentsForProductInConnectionWithAcquisitionByStageAtWhichTheyArePayableAxis=pcrx_UponFirstCommercialSaleInMajorEUCountryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	pcrx_MilestonePaymentsForProductInConnectionWithAcquisitionByStageAtWhichTheyArePayableAxis=pcrx_UponAnnualNetSalesReachingDollar100.0MillionThresholdMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	pcrx_MilestonePaymentsForProductInConnectionWithAcquisitionByStageAtWhichTheyArePayableAxis=pcrx_UponAnnualNetSalesReachingDollar250.0MillionThresholdMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: