BASIS OF PRESENTATION	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
ALLIANCES AND COLLABORATIONS [Abstract]
Basis Of Presentation [Text Block]	Note 1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (which may be referred to as Bristol-Myers Squibb, BMS or the Company) prepared these unaudited consolidated financial statements following the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and United States (U.S.) generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for interim reporting. Under those rules, certain footnotes and other financial information that are normally required for annual financial statements can be condensed or omitted. The Company is responsible for the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-Q. These consolidated financial statements include all normal and recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Material subsequent events are evaluated and disclosed through the report issuance date. These unaudited consolidated financial statements and the related notes should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011 included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. The presentation of depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of cash flows includes the depreciation of property, plant and equipment and the amortization of intangible assets and deferred income. Revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities can vary during each quarter of the year. Accordingly, the results and trends in these unaudited consolidated financial statements may not be indicative of full year operating results. The preparation of financial statements requires the use of management estimates and assumptions, based on complex judgments that are considered reasonable, that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements. The most significant assumptions are employed in estimates used in determining the fair value and potential impairment of intangible assets; sales rebate and return accruals used in revenue recognition; legal contingencies; income taxes; and pension and postretirement benefits. Actual results may differ from estimated results.

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The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements.

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