Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 190,323	$ 161,020	$ 159,056	$ 56,772
Accounts and notes receivable, net	615,750	587,935
Merchandise inventories	925,714	940,775
Other current assets	269,698	284,970
Total current assets	2,001,485	1,974,700
Property and equipment, net	208,033	208,930
Goodwill, net	420,071	419,619
Intangible assets, net	93,347	95,250
Due from O&M and subsidiaries	0	0
Advances to and investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets, net	73,905	75,277
Total assets	2,796,841	2,773,776
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	758,585	710,609
Accrued payroll and related liabilities	30,327	45,907
Other accrued liabilities	278,026	307,073
Total current liabilities	1,066,938	1,063,589
Long-term debt, excluding current portion	567,711	568,495
Due to O&M and subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	93,275	86,326
Other liabilities	63,996	62,776
Total liabilities	1,791,920	1,781,186
Equity
Common stock	125,604	125,606
Paid-in capital	213,016	211,943
Retained earnings (deficit)	709,707	706,866
Accumulated other comprehensive income	(43,406)	(51,825)	(51,646)	(24,001)
Total equity	1,004,921	992,590	968,273	990,838
Total liabilities and equity	2,796,841	2,773,776
Owens & Minor, Inc.
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	132,179	103,284	115,613	22,013
Accounts and notes receivable, net	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0
Other current assets	7	104
Total current assets	132,186	103,388
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Due from O&M and subsidiaries	0	0
Advances to and investment in consolidated subsidiaries	1,991,311	1,967,176
Other assets, net	0	0
Total assets	2,123,497	2,070,564
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and related liabilities	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	7,488	6,924
Total current liabilities	7,488	6,924
Long-term debt, excluding current portion	544,197	543,982
Due to O&M and subsidiaries	566,891	527,068
Intercompany debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	1,118,576	1,077,974
Equity
Common stock	125,604	125,606
Paid-in capital	213,016	211,943
Retained earnings (deficit)	709,707	706,866
Accumulated other comprehensive income	(43,406)	(51,825)
Total equity	1,004,921	992,590
Total liabilities and equity	2,123,497	2,070,564
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	9,514	5,614	10,135	3,912
Accounts and notes receivable, net	530,547	507,673
Merchandise inventories	872,376	883,232
Other current assets	85,246	72,683
Total current assets	1,497,683	1,469,202
Property and equipment, net	102,937	103,219
Goodwill, net	180,006	180,006
Intangible assets, net	13,213	13,731
Due from O&M and subsidiaries	564,018	518,473
Advances to and investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets, net	56,005	57,409
Total assets	2,413,862	2,342,040
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	707,358	662,909
Accrued payroll and related liabilities	18,287	32,094
Other accrued liabilities	117,778	109,137
Total current liabilities	843,423	804,140
Long-term debt, excluding current portion	4,121	4,527
Due to O&M and subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany debt	138,890	138,890
Deferred income taxes	71,484	67,562
Other liabilities	57,586	57,573
Total liabilities	1,115,504	1,072,692
Equity
Common stock	0	0
Paid-in capital	174,612	174,612
Retained earnings (deficit)	1,133,985	1,104,787
Accumulated other comprehensive income	(10,239)	(10,051)
Total equity	1,298,358	1,269,348
Total liabilities and equity	2,413,862	2,342,040
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	48,630	52,122	33,308	30,847
Accounts and notes receivable, net	94,335	89,895
Merchandise inventories	55,558	59,930
Other current assets	184,445	212,183
Total current assets	382,968	414,130
Property and equipment, net	105,096	105,711
Goodwill, net	240,065	239,613
Intangible assets, net	80,134	81,519
Due from O&M and subsidiaries	0	0
Advances to and investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets, net	17,900	17,868
Total assets	826,163	858,841
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	60,359	56,073
Accrued payroll and related liabilities	12,040	13,813
Other accrued liabilities	152,760	191,012
Total current liabilities	225,159	260,898
Long-term debt, excluding current portion	19,393	19,986
Due to O&M and subsidiaries	59,213	70,089
Intercompany debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	21,791	18,764
Other liabilities	6,410	5,203
Total liabilities	331,966	374,940
Equity
Common stock	0	0
Paid-in capital	583,867	583,873
Retained earnings (deficit)	(56,503)	(58,648)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	(33,167)	(41,324)
Total equity	494,197	483,901
Total liabilities and equity	826,163	858,841
Eliminations
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts and notes receivable, net	(9,132)	(9,633)
Merchandise inventories	(2,220)	(2,387)
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(11,352)	(12,020)
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Due from O&M and subsidiaries	(564,018)	(518,473)
Advances to and investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(1,991,311)	(1,967,176)
Other assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(2,566,681)	(2,497,669)
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	(9,132)	(8,373)
Accrued payroll and related liabilities	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(9,132)	(8,373)
Long-term debt, excluding current portion	0	0
Due to O&M and subsidiaries	(626,104)	(597,157)
Intercompany debt	(138,890)	(138,890)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(774,126)	(744,420)
Equity
Common stock	0	0
Paid-in capital	(758,479)	(758,485)
Retained earnings (deficit)	(1,077,482)	(1,046,139)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	43,406	51,375
Total equity	(1,792,555)	(1,753,249)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (2,566,681)	$ (2,497,669)