Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	$ (437,012)	$ 72,793	$ 108,787
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash (used for) provided by operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	101,927	59,443	55,393
Share-based compensation expense	16,376	11,911	12,042
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges	439,613	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	9,430	2,674	377
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(35,018)	(49,988)	4,218
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	11,106	(100,010)	(25,244)
Merchandise inventories	(65,451)	(57,032)	22,589
Accounts payable	92,179	143,947	43,430
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(23,604)	(33,263)	(37,559)
Other, net	6,043	6,299	3,662
Cash provided by operating activities	115,589	56,774	187,695
Investing activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(751,834)	(366,569)	0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(20,812)	(16,124)	(9,819)
Additions to property and equipment	(44,873)	(34,613)	(20,302)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	1,690	663	5,375
Cash used for investing activities	(815,829)	(416,643)	(24,746)
Financing activities:
Change In Intercompany Advances	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt	695,750	250,000	0
Borrowing under revolving credit facility	105,500	104,600	0
Repayment of debt	(16,250)	(3,125)	0
Financing costs paid	(28,512)	(1,798)	0
Cash dividends paid	(48,200)	(63,151)	(63,382)
Repurchases of common stock	0	(5,000)	(71,028)
Other, net	(7,217)	(8,720)	(8,294)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	701,071	272,806	(142,704)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,986)	6,097	4,223
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(1,155)	(80,966)	24,468
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	104,522	185,488	161,020
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	103,367	104,522	185,488
Owens & Minor, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	(437,012)	72,793	108,787
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash (used for) provided by operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	421,162	(99,880)	(138,815)
Intercompany dividend		0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Share-based compensation expense	0	0	0
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0	0
Net change in other assets and liabilities	2,355	(1,277)	180
Other, net	854	(1)	1,615
Cash provided by operating activities	(12,641)	(28,365)	(28,233)
Investing activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	0	0	0
Additions to property and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0	0
Cash used for investing activities	0	0	0
Financing activities:
Change In Intercompany Advances	87,295	75,969	101,424
Intercompany dividend	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	0
Borrowing under revolving credit facility	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Financing costs paid	0	0
Cash dividends paid	(48,200)	(63,151)	(63,382)
Repurchases of common stock		(5,000)	(71,028)
Other, net	(2,900)	(3,768)	(4,050)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	36,195	4,050	(37,036)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	23,554	(24,315)	(65,269)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	13,700	38,015	103,284
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	37,254	13,700	38,015
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	(228,391)	88,759	121,165
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash (used for) provided by operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	79,629	3,527	389
Intercompany dividend	30,000	25,000
Depreciation and amortization	28,069	34,548	29,589
Share-based compensation expense	16,376	11,911	12,042
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges	180,006
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	140	2,450	84
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(31,435)	(44,879)	6,245
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(92,751)	(35,549)	(18,581)
Merchandise inventories	93,612	(45,624)	26,666
Accounts payable	249,004	141,118	20,280
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(29,690)	(26,456)	(26,397)
Other, net	5,740	6,605	999
Cash provided by operating activities	300,309	161,410	172,481
Investing activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(751,834)	(366,569)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(15,076)	(7,587)	(4,004)
Additions to property and equipment	(33,245)	(25,270)	(10,329)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	1,429	198	125
Cash used for investing activities	(798,726)	(399,228)	(14,208)
Financing activities:
Change In Intercompany Advances	(256,888)	(170,358)	(100,308)
Intercompany dividend	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt	695,750	250,000
Borrowing under revolving credit facility	105,500	104,600
Repayment of debt	(16,250)	(3,125)
Financing costs paid	(28,512)	(1,798)
Cash dividends paid	0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0
Other, net	(1,391)	(1,902)	(2,313)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	498,209	177,417	(102,621)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(208)	(60,401)	55,652
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	865	61,266	5,614
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	657	865	61,266
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	(269,220)	7,412	16,616
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash (used for) provided by operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend		0
Depreciation and amortization	73,858	24,895	25,804
Share-based compensation expense	0	0	0
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges	259,607
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	9,290	224	293
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(3,583)	(5,109)	(2,027)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(353,294)	(61,103)	(6,358)
Merchandise inventories	(162,241)	(11,224)	(3,449)
Accounts payable	311,765	1,775	22,862
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(7,710)	(7,836)	(11,342)
Other, net	(551)	(305)	1,048
Cash provided by operating activities	(142,079)	(51,271)	43,447
Investing activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(5,736)	(8,537)	(5,815)
Additions to property and equipment	(11,628)	(9,343)	(9,973)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	261	465	5,250
Cash used for investing activities	(17,103)	(17,415)	(10,538)
Financing activities:
Change In Intercompany Advances	169,593	94,389	(1,116)
Intercompany dividend	(30,000)	(25,000)
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	0
Borrowing under revolving credit facility	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Financing costs paid	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0
Other, net	(2,926)	(3,050)	(1,931)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	136,667	66,339	(3,047)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,986)	6,097	4,223
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(24,501)	3,750	34,085
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	89,957	86,207	52,122
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	65,456	89,957	86,207
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	497,611	(96,171)	(137,781)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash (used for) provided by operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(500,791)	96,353	138,426
Intercompany dividend	(30,000)	(25,000)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Share-based compensation expense	0	0	0
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	457,151	(3,358)	(305)
Merchandise inventories	3,178	(184)	(628)
Accounts payable	(468,590)	1,054	288
Net change in other assets and liabilities	11,441	2,306	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Cash provided by operating activities	(30,000)	(25,000)	0
Investing activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	0	0	0
Additions to property and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0	0
Cash used for investing activities	0	0	0
Financing activities:
Change In Intercompany Advances	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend	30,000	25,000
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	0
Borrowing under revolving credit facility	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Financing costs paid	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	30,000	25,000	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0