| **Identifiable Intangible Assets and Goodwill - Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets Percentage of Total Intangibles (Details) (Details)** | Dec. 31, 2015 |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
| Research and Development Expense [Member] | Brands [Member]                                                                              |          |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |          |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 0.00%         |
| Research and Development Expense [Member] | In Process Research and Development [Member]                                                 |          |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |          |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 3.00%         |
| Operating Segments [Member] | Global Vaccines, Oncology and Consumer Healthcare [Member] | Brands [Member]                               |          |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |          |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 70.00%        |
| Operating Segments [Member] | Global Vaccines, Oncology and Consumer Healthcare [Member] | In Process Research and Development [Member]  |          |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |          |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 10.00%        |
| Operating Segments [Member] | Global Established Pharmaceutical [Member] | Brands [Member]                                               |          |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |          |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 30.00%        |
| Operating Segments [Member] | Global Established Pharmaceutical [Member] | In Process Research and Development [Member]                  |          |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |          |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 85.00%        |
| Operating Segments [Member] | Global Innovative Pharmaceutical [Member] | Brands [Member]                                                |          |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |          |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 0.00%         |
| Operating Segments [Member] | Global Innovative Pharmaceutical [Member] | In Process Research and Development [Member]                   |          |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |          |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 2.00%         |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Intangible Assets, Net, Percentage of Intangible Assets, Net
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
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.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                  |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                        |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                      |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                      |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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