Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	$ 24,135	$ 18,940
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	14,218	19,123
Share-based compensation expense	2,603	2,597
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	115	220
Deferred income tax expense	6,907	510
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	(26,815)	27,356
Merchandise inventories	15,178	(3,888)
Accounts payable	46,751	88,944
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(38,100)	13,580
Other, net	(97)	1,321
Cash provided by operating activities	44,895	168,703
Investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	(5,283)	(7,619)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(1,777)	(3,947)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	4,599	50
Cash used for investing activities	(2,461)	(11,516)
Financing activities:
Change in bank overdraft	8,359	1,179
Change in intercompany advances	0	0
Repayment of revolving credit facility	0	(33,700)
Cash dividends paid	(16,029)	(15,934)
Repurchases of common stock	(5,630)	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	250	240
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	125
Other, net	(3,016)	(2,324)
Cash used for financing activities	(16,066)	(50,414)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	2,935	(4,489)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	29,303	102,284
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	161,020	56,772
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	190,323	159,056
Owens & Minor, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	24,135	18,940
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(31,509)	(24,153)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Share-based compensation expense	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	0	0
Deferred income tax expense	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Net change in other assets and liabilities	661	541
Other, net	214	209
Cash provided by operating activities	(6,499)	(4,463)
Investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	0	0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Cash used for investing activities	0	0
Financing activities:
Change in bank overdraft	0	0
Change in intercompany advances	58,435	114,499
Repayment of revolving credit facility		0
Cash dividends paid	(16,029)	(15,934)
Repurchases of common stock	(5,630)
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	250	240
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		125
Other, net	(1,632)	(867)
Cash used for financing activities	35,394	98,063
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	28,895	93,600
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	103,284	22,013
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	132,179	115,613
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	29,198	28,396
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	7,569	9,105
Share-based compensation expense	2,603	2,597
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	128	(36)
Deferred income tax expense	3,922	(373)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	(23,002)	26,519
Merchandise inventories	10,856	(2,348)
Accounts payable	44,449	92,359
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(15,780)	16,418
Other, net	123	636
Cash provided by operating activities	60,066	173,273
Investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	(3,928)	(6,552)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(615)	(1,457)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	3	50
Cash used for investing activities	(4,540)	(7,959)
Financing activities:
Change in bank overdraft	0	0
Change in intercompany advances	(51,009)	(124,681)
Repayment of revolving credit facility		(33,700)
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Repurchases of common stock	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		0
Other, net	(617)	(710)
Cash used for financing activities	(51,626)	(159,091)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	3,900	6,223
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	5,614	3,912
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	9,514	10,135
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	2,145	(4,629)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	6,649	10,018
Share-based compensation expense	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	(13)	256
Deferred income tax expense	2,985	883
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	(4,569)	(5,561)
Merchandise inventories	4,490	(3,928)
Accounts payable	3,056	3,424
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(22,981)	(1,046)
Other, net	(434)	476
Cash provided by operating activities	(8,672)	(107)
Investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	(1,355)	(1,067)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(1,162)	(2,490)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	4,596	0
Cash used for investing activities	2,079	(3,557)
Financing activities:
Change in bank overdraft	8,359	1,179
Change in intercompany advances	(7,426)	10,182
Repayment of revolving credit facility		0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Repurchases of common stock	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		0
Other, net	(767)	(747)
Cash used for financing activities	166	10,614
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	2,935	(4,489)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	(3,492)	2,461
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	52,122	30,847
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	48,630	33,308
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	(31,343)	(23,767)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	31,509	24,153
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Share-based compensation expense	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	0	0
Deferred income tax expense	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	756	6,398
Merchandise inventories	(168)	2,388
Accounts payable	(754)	(6,839)
Net change in other assets and liabilities	0	$ (2,333)
Other, net	0
Cash provided by operating activities	0	$ 0
Investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	0	0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Cash used for investing activities	0	0
Financing activities:
Change in bank overdraft	0	0
Change in intercompany advances	0	0
Repayment of revolving credit facility		0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Repurchases of common stock	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		0
Other, net	0	0
Cash used for financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0