| **Identifiable Intangible Assets and Goodwill - Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets Percentage of Total Intangibles (Details) (Details)** | Dec. 31, 2014                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Global Vaccines, Oncology and Consumer Healthcare [Member] | Trade Names [Member]                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 69.00%pfe_IntangibleAssetsNetPercentageofIntangibleAssetsNet/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_TradeNamesMember/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis= pfe_GlobalVaccinesOncologyandConsumerHealthcareMember                      |
| 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                                                             | 31.00%pfe_IntangibleAssetsNetPercentageofIntangibleAssetsNet/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_InProcessResearchAndDevelopmentMember/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis= pfe_GlobalVaccinesOncologyandConsumerHealthcareMember |
| Global Established Pharmaceutical [Member] | Trade Names [Member]                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 31.00%pfe_IntangibleAssetsNetPercentageofIntangibleAssetsNet/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_TradeNamesMember/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis= pfe_GlobalEstablishedPharmaceuticalMember                                  |
| 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                                                             | 62.00%pfe_IntangibleAssetsNetPercentageofIntangibleAssetsNet/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_InProcessResearchAndDevelopmentMember/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis= pfe_GlobalEstablishedPharmaceuticalMember             |
| Global Innovative Pharmaceutical [Member] | Trade Names [Member]                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| **Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]**                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Percentage of indefinite-lived intangible asset unamortized costs by segment                                                             | 0.00%pfe_IntangibleAssetsNetPercentageofIntangibleAssetsNet/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_TradeNamesMember/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis= pfe_GlobalInnovativePharmaceuticalMember                                    |
| 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                                                             | 7.00%pfe_IntangibleAssetsNetPercentageofIntangibleAssetsNet/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis= us-gaap_InProcessResearchAndDevelopmentMember/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis= pfe_GlobalInnovativePharmaceuticalMember               |

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|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Intangible Assets, Net, Percentage of Intangible Assets, Net
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                       |
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| X                                                                                                                                                                      |
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                   |
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