Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities
Net earnings	$ 5,309,000,000	$ 5,953,000,000	$ 5,144,000,000
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation	425,000,000	425,000,000	417,000,000
Amortization of intangible assets	1,076,000,000	764,000,000	419,000,000
Change in fair value of contingent consideration liabilities	626,000,000	228,000,000	0
Stock-based compensation	365,000,000	353,000,000	282,000,000
Upfront costs and milestones related to collaborations	470,000,000	280,000,000	280,000,000
Devaluation loss related to Venezuela	0	298,000,000	0
Intangible asset impairment	354,000,000	39,000,000	0
Impacts related to U.S. tax reform	1,242,000,000	0	0
Other, net	84,000,000	390,000,000	489,000,000
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Accounts receivable	(391,000,000)	(71,000,000)	(1,076,000,000)
Inventories	93,000,000	(38,000,000)	(434,000,000)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(118,000,000)	(393,000,000)	511,000,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities	425,000,000	(1,187,000,000)	1,503,000,000
Cash flows from operating activities	9,960,000,000	7,041,000,000	7,535,000,000
Cash flows from investing activities
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	(2,495,000,000)	(11,488,000,000)
Other acquisitions and investments	(308,000,000)	(262,000,000)	(964,000,000)
Acquisitions of property and equipment	(529,000,000)	(479,000,000)	(532,000,000)
Purchases of investment securities	(2,230,000,000)	(5,315,000,000)	(851,000,000)
Sales and maturities of investment securities	2,793,000,000	2,359,000,000	899,000,000
Other	0	118,000,000	0
Cash flows from investing activities	(274,000,000)	(6,074,000,000)	(12,936,000,000)
Cash flows from financing activities
Net change in short-term borrowings	22,000,000	(29,000,000)	(19,000,000)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0	11,627,000,000	20,660,000,000
Repayments of long-term debt and lease obligations	(25,000,000)	(6,010,000,000)	(4,018,000,000)
Debt issuance costs	0	(69,000,000)	(182,000,000)
Dividends paid	(4,107,000,000)	(3,717,000,000)	(3,294,000,000)
Purchases of treasury stock	(1,410,000,000)	(6,033,000,000)	(7,586,000,000)
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options	254,000,000	268,000,000	155,000,000
Payments of contingent consideration liabilities	(268,000,000)	0	0
Other, net	22,000,000	35,000,000	36,000,000
Cash flows from financing activities	(5,512,000,000)	(3,928,000,000)	5,752,000,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and equivalents	29,000,000	(338,000,000)	(300,000,000)
Net change in cash and equivalents	4,203,000,000	(3,299,000,000)	51,000,000
Cash and equivalents, beginning of year	5,100,000,000	8,399,000,000	8,348,000,000
Cash and equivalents, end of year	9,303,000,000	5,100,000,000	8,399,000,000
Other supplemental information
Interest paid, net of portion capitalized	1,099,000,000	986,000,000	536,000,000
Income taxes paid	1,696,000,000	3,563,000,000	1,108,000,000
Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities
Issuance of common shares associated with acquisitions of businesses	$ 0	$ 3,923,000,000	$ 8,405,000,000