Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012 segment	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting
Number of segments	3
Segment reporting information
Net revenues	$ 30,798,000,000	$ 25,695,000,000
Gross profit	5,113,000,000	4,742,000,000
Operating profit (loss)	1,404,000,000	1,305,000,000
Total assets	66,006,000,000		64,543,000,000
Goodwill	26,431,000,000		26,458,000,000
Intersegment eliminations, intersegment revenues	798,000,000	558,000,000
Pharmacy Services Segment
Segment reporting information
Number of states pharmacies operated	22
Number of drugstores	7,295
Net revenues	18,300,000,000	13,829,000,000
Gross profit	616,000,000	630,000,000
Operating profit (loss)	349,000,000	391,000,000
Total assets	36,295,000,000		35,704,000,000
Goodwill	19,630,000,000		19,657,000,000
Net revenues, retail co-payments	2,300,000,000	2,200,000,000
Intersegment eliminations, intersegment gross profit	75,000,000	35,000,000
Pharmacy Services Segment | Specialty stores
Segment reporting information
Number of pharmacies	31
Pharmacy Services Segment | Specialty mail order
Segment reporting information
Number of pharmacies	12
Pharmacy Services Segment | Mail service
Segment reporting information
Number of pharmacies	4
Retail Pharmacy Segment
Segment reporting information
Number of states pharmacies operated	41
Number of drugstores	7,352
Net revenues	16,024,000,000	14,587,000,000
Gross profit	4,572,000,000	4,147,000,000
Operating profit (loss)	1,298,000,000	1,096,000,000
Total assets	29,196,000,000		28,323,000,000
Goodwill	6,801,000,000		6,801,000,000
Intersegment eliminations, intersegment gross profit	75,000,000	35,000,000
Retail Pharmacy Segment | MinuteClinic within CVS Pharmacy Stores
Segment reporting information
Number of drugstores	562
Retail Pharmacy Segment | MinuteClinic
Segment reporting information
Number of drugstores	570
Retail Pharmacy Segment | Specialty stores
Segment reporting information
Number of pharmacies	29
Corporate Segment
Segment reporting information
Operating profit (loss)	(168,000,000)	(147,000,000)
Total assets	1,178,000,000		1,121,000,000
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment reporting information
Net revenues	(3,526,000,000)	(2,721,000,000)
Gross profit	(75,000,000)	(35,000,000)
Operating profit (loss)	(75,000,000)	(35,000,000)
Total assets	$ (663,000,000)		$ (605,000,000)
Number of type of transactions related to intersegment eliminations	2