Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	$ (14,096)	$ 8,151
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	28,720	17,911
Share-based compensation expense	4,505	3,035
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	3,619	1,073
Deferred income tax benefit	(8,613)	(1,482)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(22,573)	(18,519)
Merchandise inventories	80,194	(30,556)
Accounts payable	(120,480)	9,478
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(15,858)	28,904
Other, net	3,678	278
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities	(60,904)	18,273
Investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	(11,674)	(7,074)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(2,605)	(7,086)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	271	0
Cash used for investing activities	(14,008)	(14,160)
Financing activities:
Borrowings (repayments) under revolving credit facility	72,100	(300)
Repayments of debt	(12,394)	(3,125)
Financing costs paid	(4,313)	0
Change in intercompany advances	0	0
Cash dividends paid	(4,764)	(16,074)
Other, net	(1,124)	(2,304)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	49,505	(21,803)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(2,721)	800
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(28,128)	(16,890)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	103,367	104,522
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	75,239	87,632
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	9,784	(14,940)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(8,336)	14,863
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Share-based compensation expense	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	0	0
Deferred income tax benefit	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	179,492	147
Merchandise inventories	(1,449)	76
Accounts payable	(178,750)	(140)
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(741)	(6)
Other, net	0	0
Cash (used for) 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
Cash used for investing activities	0	0
Financing activities:
Borrowings (repayments) under revolving credit facility	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Financing costs paid	0
Change in intercompany advances	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net decrease 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
Owens & Minor, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	(14,096)	8,151
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	7,379	(14,713)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Share-based compensation expense	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	0	0
Deferred income tax benefit	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(2,276)	121
Other, net	213	250
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities	(8,780)	(6,191)
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
Cash used for investing activities	0	0
Financing activities:
Borrowings (repayments) under revolving credit facility	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Financing costs paid	0
Change in intercompany advances	(17,292)	22,949
Cash dividends paid	(4,764)	(16,074)
Other, net	(447)	(1,113)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(22,503)	5,762
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(31,283)	(429)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	37,254	13,700
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	5,971	13,271
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	16,025	18,441
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	957	(150)
Depreciation and amortization	16,339	11,207
Share-based compensation expense	4,505	3,035
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	3,644	1,219
Deferred income tax benefit	(4,851)	(1,453)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(86,828)	(60,302)
Merchandise inventories	79,642	(29,606)
Accounts payable	43,165	13,696
Net change in other assets and liabilities	56,354	31,976
Other, net	3,483	132
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities	132,435	(11,805)
Investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	(3,666)	(5,847)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(2,124)	(6,078)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0
Cash used for investing activities	(5,790)	(11,925)
Financing activities:
Borrowings (repayments) under revolving credit facility	72,100	(300)
Repayments of debt	(12,394)	(3,125)
Financing costs paid	(4,313)
Change in intercompany advances	(143,485)	22,151
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Other, net	(236)	(421)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(88,328)	18,305
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	38,317	(5,425)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	5,294	11,080
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	43,611	5,655
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	(25,809)	(3,501)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	12,381	6,704
Share-based compensation expense	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	(25)	(146)
Deferred income tax benefit	(3,762)	(29)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(115,237)	41,636
Merchandise inventories	2,001	(1,026)
Accounts payable	15,105	(4,078)
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(69,195)	(3,187)
Other, net	(18)	(104)
Cash (used for) provided by operating activities	(184,559)	36,269
Investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	(8,008)	(1,227)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(481)	(1,008)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	271
Cash used for investing activities	(8,218)	(2,235)
Financing activities:
Borrowings (repayments) under revolving credit facility	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Financing costs paid	0
Change in intercompany advances	160,777	(45,100)
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Other, net	(441)	(770)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	160,336	(45,870)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(2,721)	800
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(35,162)	(11,036)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	60,819	79,742
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 25,657	$ 68,706