Common Stock Lock Up Period, Years

No definition available.

Name:	bmy_CommonStockLockUpPeriodYears
Namespace Prefix:	bmy_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents that additional aggregate consideration for contingent development and regulatory approval milestone payments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bmy_Considerationforcontingentdevelopmentandregulatoryapproval
Namespace Prefix:	bmy_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Cost Share, Percentage, Combination Studies

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bmy_CostSharePercentageCombinationStudies
Namespace Prefix:	bmy_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Equity Investment in Collaborative Partner

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bmy_EquityInvestmentinCollaborativePartner
Namespace Prefix:	bmy_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Equity Received in Collaborative Partner

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bmy_EquityReceivedinCollaborativePartner
Namespace Prefix:	bmy_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Ownership Interest

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bmy_OwnershipInterest
Namespace Prefix:	bmy_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of Pretax Profit and Loss Shared with BMS

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bmy_PercentageofPretaxProfitandLossSharedwithBMS
Namespace Prefix:	bmy_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Upfront payments made to partner as part of collaborative arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bmy_UpfrontPaymentsMadeToCollaborativePartner
Namespace Prefix:	bmy_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the upfront payment to acquire an entity, net of tax, charged to research and development expense.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bmy_Upfrontpaymentallocatedtoresearchanddevelopmentexpenses
Namespace Prefix:	bmy_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- 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_CollaborativeArrangementsAndNoncollaborativeArrangementTransactionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 985
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6501960&loc=d3e128462-111756

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 730
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420194&loc=d3e21568-108373

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bmy_AlliancesAndCollaborationCompaniesAxis=bmy_NektarMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_CommonStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

ALLIANCES ALLIANCES (Nektar) (Details) shares in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Common Stock Lock Up Period, Years	5
Upfront payment allocated to research and development expenses	$ 485
Research and development	$ 6,345	$ 6,482	$ 5,012
Collaborative Arrangement [Member] \| Nektar [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Cost Share, Percentage, Combination Studies	67.50%
Percentage of Pretax Profit and Loss Shared with BMS	35.00%
Upfront payments for licensing and alliance arrangements	$ 1,850
Ownership Interest	4.80%
Equity Investment in Collaborative Partner	$ 800
Upfront payment allocated to research and development expenses	1,050
Consideration for contingent development and regulatory approval	1,800
Research and development	$ 59
Common Stock [Member] \| Collaborative Arrangement [Member] \| Nektar [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Equity Received in Collaborative Partner \| shares	8.3