Name:	cvs_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesAgreementAmount
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the number of shares of common stock repurchased under the entity's fixed dollar accelerated share repurchase agreement with Barclays Bank PLC.

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesNumberOfSharesRepurchased
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Accelerated Share Repurchases, Percent of Notional Amount Received in Shares

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesPercentofNotionalAmountReceivedinShares
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Accelerated Share Repurchases, Percent of Notional Amount in Shares to be Received at End of Program

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesPercentofNotionalAmountinSharestobeReceivedatEndofProgram
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Accelerated share repurchases percentage of notional purchase price

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_Acceleratedsharerepurchasespercentageofnotionalpurchaseprice
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represent value of shares transferred from trust to treasury shares.

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_TransferOfSharesToTreasuryStockValue
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Final price paid per share for the purchase of the targeted number of shares, determined by an average market price over a fixed period of time.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 30
-Section 25
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6405686&loc=d3e22802-112653

Name:	us-gaap_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesFinalPricePaidPerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

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.

No definition available.

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

Amount of cash receipt from (payment to) bank; or stock received from (issuance to) bank in the settlement of the accelerated share repurchase agreement.

Name:	us-gaap_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesSettlementPaymentOrReceipt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of stock repurchase plan authorized.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount remaining of a stock repurchase plan authorized.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramRemainingAuthorizedRepurchaseAmount1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Number of shares that have been repurchased during the period and have not been retired and are not held in treasury. Some state laws may govern the circumstances under which an entity may acquire its own stock and prescribe the accounting treatment therefore. This element is used when state law does not recognize treasury stock.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Article 3

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 29, 30
-Article 5

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodShares
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Equity impact of the value of stock that has been repurchased during the period and has not been retired and is not held in treasury. Some state laws may mandate the circumstances under which an entity may acquire its own stock and prescribe the accounting treatment therefore. This element is used when state law does not recognize treasury stock.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 29, 30, 31
-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Article 3

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

Name:	us-gaap_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesDateAxis=cvs_December112015Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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Name:	us-gaap_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesDateAxis=cvs_January022015Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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Name:	us-gaap_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesDateAxis=cvs_October012013Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=cvs_RepurchaseProgram2014Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=cvs_RepurchaseProgram2013Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=cvs_RepurchaseProgram2012Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=cvs_A2014and2013RepurchaseProgramsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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