Supplemental Financial Information (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010
Component of long-term investment
Long-term Investment Securities	$ 273,595,000	$ 378,225,000	$ 302,049,000
Net loss on extinguishment of debt	1,350,973,000
Redemption amount	7,700,000,000
Premium paid and the write off of deferred financing costs	1,830,000,000
Gain related to the unwinding of interest rate swaps related a portion of the debt	479,000,000
Income from resolution of a contractual agreement	60,000,000
Loss of the impairment of certain equity securities	62,000,000
Charge recorded to other (income) expense		137,000,000
Fair value adjustments and accretion in the contingent consideration		56,000,000
Other Accrued Liabilities:
Accrued rebates payable to government agencies	1,020,000,000	1,049,000,000	900,000,000
Accrued other rebates	1,079,000,000	1,030,000,000	862,000,000
All other accrued liabilities	4,689,000,000	5,776,000,000	4,253,000,000
Other accrued liabilities, total	6,787,995,000	7,854,994,000	6,014,772,000
Accrued wholesaler chargeback rebates	300,000,000	239,000,000	216,000,000
Previously disclosed government investigation		1,509,000,000
Acquired in-process research and development		400,000,000
Consideration payable for Piramal Healthcare Limited's Healthcare Solutions business included in Other Accrued Liabilities	400,000,000	400,000,000	400,000,000
Post-employment Obligations and Other Long-term Liabilities:
Defined benefit pension plans and post-employment medical and dental plans for significant plans	4,557,000,000	3,301,000,000	2,425,000,000
Deferred income taxes	710,000,000	703,000,000	1,112,000,000
All other	3,789,000,000	4,227,000,000	4,486,000,000
Post-employment Obligations and Other Long-term Liabilities	9,056,234,000	8,230,698,000	8,022,770,000
Consideration payable for Piramal Healthcare Limited's Healthcare Solutions business included in Post-employment Obligations and Other Long-term Liabilities	385,000,000	770,000,000	1,150,000,000
Restricted assets, escrow deposit from litigation				1,870,000,000
Defined Benefit Plans
Post-employment Obligations and Other Long-term Liabilities:
Defined benefit pension plans and post-employment medical and dental plans for significant plans	3,085,000,000	2,033,000,000	1,148,000,000
Equity securities
Component of long-term investment
Long-term Investment Securities	213,000,000	317,000,000	240,000,000
Other
Component of long-term investment
Long-term Investment Securities	$ 61,000,000	$ 61,000,000	$ 62,000,000