|**Other (Income)/Deductions - Net - Footnotes - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified**                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 0 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
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|**Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Litigation settlement income (loss)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | $ 0us-gaap_GainLossRelatedToLitigationSettlement                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | [1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|Violation Of Securities Law, Failure to Disclose Material Information [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|**Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Litigation settlement income (loss)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | (400.0)us-gaap_GainLossRelatedToLitigationSettlement/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis= pfe_ViolationOfSecuritiesLawFailuretoDiscloseMaterialInformationMember                                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Accrual No Longer Deemed Probable [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|**Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Litigation settlement income (loss)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 130.0us-gaap_GainLossRelatedToLitigationSettlement/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis= pfe_AccrualNoLongerDeemedProbableMember                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Number of reversed legal accruals                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 2pfe_NumberofReversedLegalAccruals/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis= pfe_AccrualNoLongerDeemedProbableMember                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Enbrel [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|**Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Royalty revenue, term                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Neurontin [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|**Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Litigation settlement income (loss)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | (610.0)us-gaap_GainLossRelatedToLitigationSettlement/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= pfe_NeurontinMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Effexor [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|**Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Litigation settlement income (loss)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | (56.0)us-gaap_GainLossRelatedToLitigationSettlement/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= pfe_EffexorMember                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Rapamune [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|**Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Litigation settlement income (loss)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Celebrex [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|**Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Litigation settlement income (loss)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
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|[1]
              In 2013, reflects income from a litigation settlement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Teva) and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Sun) for patent-infringement damages resulting from their "at-risk" launches of generic Protonix in the U.S. As of December 31, 2014, all amounts due had been collected. | [1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | In 2013, reflects income from a litigation settlement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Teva) and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Sun) for patent-infringement damages resulting from their "at-risk" launches of generic Protonix in the U.S. As of December 31, 2014, all amounts due had been collected.
|[1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | In 2013, reflects income from a litigation settlement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Teva) and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Sun) for patent-infringement damages resulting from their "at-risk" launches of generic Protonix in the U.S. As of December 31, 2014, all amounts due had been collected.

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