Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Income) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	$ 2,471,669	$ 2,386,126	$ 7,285,032	$ 6,948,365
Cost of goods sold	2,165,315	2,093,643	6,382,740	6,092,413
Gross margin	306,354	292,483	902,292	855,952
Selling, general and administrative expenses	231,847	231,377	697,170	682,825
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	6,134	13,957	21,757	24,813
Depreciation and amortization	15,112	13,841	46,441	41,597
Other operating income, net	(311)	(2,069)	(5,484)	(12,046)
Operating earnings	53,572	35,377	142,408	118,763
Interest expense (income), net	6,744	4,304	20,305	10,893
Loss on early retirement of debt	0	14,890	0	14,890
Income before income taxes	46,828	16,183	122,103	92,980
Income tax (benefit) provision	18,652	9,028	50,761	40,464
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	28,176	7,155	71,342	52,516
Other comprehensive income (loss)	2,233	(16,797)	(18,554)	(16,675)
Comprehensive income (loss)	30,409	(9,642)	52,788	35,841
Owens & Minor, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	0	0	0	0
Cost of goods sold	0	0	0	0
Gross margin	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	27	25	696	36
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	2
Other operating income, net	0	0	0	0
Operating earnings	(27)	(25)	(696)	(38)
Interest expense (income), net	7,257	3,925	20,142	9,328
Loss on early retirement of debt		14,890		14,890
Income before income taxes	(7,284)	(18,840)	(20,838)	(24,256)
Income tax (benefit) provision	0	(7,144)	(773)	(9,299)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	35,460	18,851	91,407	67,473
Net income	28,176	7,155	71,342	52,516
Other comprehensive income (loss)	2,233	(16,797)	(18,554)	(16,675)
Comprehensive income (loss)	30,409	(9,642)	52,788	35,841
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	2,321,301	2,261,448	6,850,731	6,596,941
Cost of goods sold	2,106,623	2,047,328	6,204,950	5,965,607
Gross margin	214,678	214,120	645,781	631,334
Selling, general and administrative expenses	162,697	155,950	483,616	462,325
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	1,980	7,893	5,813	13,074
Depreciation and amortization	8,639	8,966	26,653	26,703
Other operating income, net	(28)	(1,167)	(2,360)	(9,043)
Operating earnings	41,390	42,478	132,059	138,275
Interest expense (income), net	(1,235)	1,002	(654)	3,502
Loss on early retirement of debt		0		0
Income before income taxes	42,625	41,476	132,713	134,773
Income tax (benefit) provision	10,927	16,463	42,683	53,989
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	31,698	25,013	90,030	80,784
Other comprehensive income (loss)	179	131	726	350
Comprehensive income (loss)	31,877	25,144	90,756	81,134
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	194,659	141,086	554,862	398,646
Cost of goods sold	102,923	62,850	298,530	173,747
Gross margin	91,736	78,236	256,332	224,899
Selling, general and administrative expenses	69,123	75,402	212,858	220,464
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	4,154	6,064	15,944	11,739
Depreciation and amortization	6,473	4,875	19,788	14,892
Other operating income, net	(283)	(1,235)	(3,124)	(3,336)
Operating earnings	12,269	(6,870)	10,866	(18,860)
Interest expense (income), net	722	(623)	817	(1,937)
Loss on early retirement of debt		0		0
Income before income taxes	11,547	(6,247)	10,049	(16,923)
Income tax (benefit) provision	7,725	(291)	8,851	(4,226)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	3,822	(5,956)	1,198	(12,697)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	2,054	(16,795)	(19,280)	(16,898)
Comprehensive income (loss)	5,876	(22,751)	(18,082)	(29,595)
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	(44,291)	(16,408)	(120,561)	(47,222)
Cost of goods sold	(44,231)	(16,535)	(120,740)	(46,941)
Gross margin	(60)	127	179	(281)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Other operating income, net	0	333	0	333
Operating earnings	(60)	(206)	179	(614)
Interest expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Loss on early retirement of debt		0		0
Income before income taxes	(60)	(206)	179	(614)
Income tax (benefit) provision	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(35,460)	(18,851)	(91,407)	(67,473)
Net income	(35,520)	(19,057)	(91,228)	(68,087)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(2,233)	16,664	18,554	16,548
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (37,753)	$ (2,393)	$ (72,674)	$ (51,539)