|**Identifiable Intangible Assets and Goodwill - Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Dec. 31, 2014                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Dec. 31, 2013                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|**Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, gross carrying amount                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | $ 73,887us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | (46,381)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | [1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|Finite-lived intangible assets, less accumulated amortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 27,506us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|**Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Total indefinite-lived intangible assets                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 7,660us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Intangible assets, gross carrying amount                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 81,547us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsGrossExcludingGoodwill                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | [1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|Identifiable intangible assets, less accumulated amortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 35,166us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwill                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | [1],[2]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
|Trade Names [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|**Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Total indefinite-lived intangible assets                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 7,273us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_TradeNamesMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|In Process Research and Development [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|**Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Total indefinite-lived intangible assets                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 387us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_InProcessResearchAndDevelopmentMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Developed Technology Rights [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|**Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, gross carrying amount                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 70,946us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_DevelopedTechnologyRightsMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | (44,694)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_DevelopedTechnologyRightsMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, less accumulated amortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 26,252us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_DevelopedTechnologyRightsMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Trade Names [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|**Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, gross carrying amount                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 1,951us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_TradeNamesMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | (855)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_TradeNamesMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, less accumulated amortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 1,096us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_TradeNamesMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Licensing Agreements And Other [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|**Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, gross carrying amount                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 991us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= pfe_LicensingAgreementsAndOtherMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | (832)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= pfe_LicensingAgreementsAndOtherMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Finite-lived intangible assets, less accumulated amortization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | $ 159us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= pfe_LicensingAgreementsAndOtherMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|[1]
              The decrease in identifiable intangible assets, less accumulated amortization, is primarily due to amortization and, to a much lesser extent, asset impairment charges, partially offset by assets acquired as part of the InnoPharma acquisition,the Nexium OTC milestones and other asset acquisitions. For information about impairments of intangible assets, see Note 4. For information about the assets acquired from InnoPharma and the Nexium OTC milestones, see Note 2A and Note 2B, respectively.[2]
              Amounts may not add due to rounding. | [1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | The decrease in identifiable intangible assets, less accumulated amortization, is primarily due to amortization and, to a much lesser extent, asset impairment charges, partially offset by assets acquired as part of the InnoPharma acquisition,the Nexium OTC milestones and other asset acquisitions. For information about impairments of intangible assets, see Note 4. For information about the assets acquired from InnoPharma and the Nexium OTC milestones, see Note 2A and Note 2B, respectively.
|[1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | The decrease in identifiable intangible assets, less accumulated amortization, is primarily due to amortization and, to a much lesser extent, asset impairment charges, partially offset by assets acquired as part of the InnoPharma acquisition,the Nexium OTC milestones and other asset acquisitions. For information about impairments of intangible assets, see Note 4. For information about the assets acquired from InnoPharma and the Nexium OTC milestones, see Note 2A and Note 2B, respectively.
|[2]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Amounts may not add due to rounding.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

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