| **Financial Instruments by Balance Sheet Grouping (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Sep. 29, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|
| **Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |          |               |   |  |
| Taxes and other current assets(a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | $ 200         | [1]           | $ 296 | [1] |
| Taxes and other noncurrent assets(b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 962           | [2]           | 1,086 | [2] |
| Other current liabilities(c)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 222           | [3]           | 330 | [3] |
| Other noncurrent liabilities(d)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 374           | [4]           | 374 | [4] |
| Foreign currency forward-exchange contracts [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |          |               |   |  |
| **Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |          |               |   |  |
| Taxes and other current assets(a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 143           |               | 152 |  |
| Other current liabilities(c)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 208           |               | 243 |  |
| Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |          |               |   |  |
| **Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |          |               |   |  |
| Taxes and other current assets(a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 22            |               | 144 |  |
| Taxes and other noncurrent assets(b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 502           |               | 50 |  |
| Other current liabilities(c)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 14            |               | 87 |  |
| Other noncurrent liabilities(d)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 174           |               | 341 |  |
| Interest rate swaps [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |          |               |   |  |
| **Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |          |               |   |  |
| Taxes and other current assets(a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 35            |               |   |  |
| Taxes and other noncurrent assets(b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 460           |               | 1,000 |  |
| Other noncurrent liabilities(d)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | $ 200         |               | $ 33 |  |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| [1]As of September 29, 2013, derivative instruments at fair value include interest rate swaps ($35 million), foreign currency swaps ($22 million) and foreign currency forward-exchange contracts ($143 million) and, as of December 31, 2012, include foreign currency swaps ($144 million) and foreign currency forward-exchange contracts ($152 million).[2]As of September 29, 2013, derivative instruments at fair value include interest rate swaps ($460 million) and foreign currency swaps ($502 million) and, as of December 31, 2012, include interest rate swaps ($1.0 billion) and foreign currency swaps ($50 million).[3]As of September 29, 2013, derivative instruments at fair value include foreign currency swaps ($14 million) and foreign currency forward-exchange contracts ($208 million) and, as of December 31, 2012, include foreign currency swaps ($87 million) and foreign currency forward-exchange contracts ($243 million).[4]As of September 29, 2013, derivative instruments at fair value include interest rate swaps ($200 million) and foreign currency swaps ($174 million) and, as of December 31, 2012, include interest rate swaps ($33 million) and foreign currency swaps ($341 million). |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Selected financial assets presented in the balance sheet caption, Current deferred tax assets and other current assets, at the balance sheet date.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pfe_SelectedFinancialAssetsCurrentDeferredTaxAssetsAndOtherCurrentAssets**Namespace Prefix:**pfe_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Selected financial assets presented in the balance sheet caption, Noncurrent deferred tax assets and other noncurrent assets, at the balance sheet date.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pfe_SelectedFinancialAssetsNoncurrentDeferredTaxAssetsAndOtherNoncurrentAssets**Namespace Prefix:**pfe_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Selected financial liabilities presented in the balance sheet caption, Current deferred tax liabilities and other current liabilities, at the balance sheet date.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pfe_SelectedFinancialLiabilitiesCurrentDeferredTaxLiabilitiesAndOtherCurrentLiabilities**Namespace Prefix:**pfe_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Selected financial liabilities presented in the balance sheet caption, Other Noncurrent liabilities, at the balance sheet date.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pfe_SelectedFinancialLiabilitiesOtherNoncurrentLiabilities**Namespace Prefix:**pfe_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_FairValueBalanceSheetGroupingFinancialStatementCaptionsLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |