Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	$ 24,226	$ 19,876	$ 43,166	$ 45,362
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization			36,138	27,756
Share-based compensation expense			5,048	4,190
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable			41	334
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)			2,992	(5,151)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable			41,622	28,477
Merchandise inventories			(31,866)	(48,575)
Accounts payable			145,682	54,922
Net change in other assets and liabilities			2,771	(32,765)
Other, net			1,196	(1,078)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities			246,790	73,472
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment			0	1,937
Additions to property and equipment			(12,009)	(25,657)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets			(10,816)	(13,166)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment			837	45
Cash used for investing activities			(21,988)	(36,841)
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances			0	0
Repayment of revolving credit facility			(33,700)	0
Change in bank overdraft			1,530	0
Cash dividends paid			(31,867)	(31,564)
Repurchases of common stock			(7,440)	(9,448)
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation			457	444
Proceeds from exercise of stock options			0	1,180
Purchase of noncontrolling interest			0	(1,500)
Other, net			(5,112)	(4,441)
Cash used for financing activities			(76,132)	(45,329)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(4,473)	(1,180)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			144,197	(9,878)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			56,772	101,905
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	200,969	92,027	200,969	92,027
Owens & Minor, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	24,226	19,876	43,166	45,362
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(31,790)	(21,663)	(55,943)	(48,621)
Depreciation and amortization			0	1
Share-based compensation expense			0	0
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable			0	0
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)			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			(148)	(952)
Other, net			429	(776)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities			(12,496)	$ (4,986)
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment
Additions to property and equipment			0	$ 0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets			0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment			0	0
Cash used for investing activities			0	0
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances			135,627	28,847
Repayment of revolving credit facility			0
Change in bank overdraft			0
Cash dividends paid			(31,867)	(31,564)
Repurchases of common stock			(7,440)	(9,448)
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation			457	444
Proceeds from exercise of stock options				1,180
Purchase of noncontrolling interest				0
Other, net			(867)	(2,072)
Cash used for financing activities			95,910	(12,613)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			83,414	(17,599)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			22,013	74,391
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	105,427	56,792	105,427	56,792
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	30,310	25,732	58,322	55,771
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization			17,741	17,741
Share-based compensation expense			5,048	4,190
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable			(36)	146
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)			2,376	(4,117)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable			35,566	28,286
Merchandise inventories			(35,481)	(38,733)
Accounts payable			146,622	54,860
Net change in other assets and liabilities			14,338	(15,272)
Other, net			726	(280)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities			245,222	102,592
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment				1,937
Additions to property and equipment			(9,292)	(16,777)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets			(2,068)	(12,256)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment			60	35
Cash used for investing activities			(11,300)	(27,061)
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances			(155,951)	(62,995)
Repayment of revolving credit facility			(33,700)
Change in bank overdraft			0
Cash dividends paid			0	0
Repurchases of common stock			0	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation			0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options				0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest				0
Other, net			(1,544)	(1,450)
Cash used for financing activities			(191,195)	(64,445)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			42,727	11,086
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			3,912	2,012
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	46,639	13,098	46,639	13,098
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	1,627	(3,642)	(2,618)	(6,742)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization			18,397	10,014
Share-based compensation expense			0	0
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable			77	188
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)			616	(1,034)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable			(180)	428
Merchandise inventories			1,193	(10,248)
Accounts payable			5,798	(177)
Net change in other assets and liabilities			(9,260)	(16,541)
Other, net			41	(22)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities			14,064	$ (24,134)
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment
Additions to property and equipment			(2,717)	$ (8,880)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets			(8,748)	(910)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment			777	10
Cash used for investing activities			(10,688)	(9,780)
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances			20,324	34,148
Repayment of revolving credit facility			0
Change in bank overdraft			1,530
Cash dividends paid			0	0
Repurchases of common stock			0	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation			0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options				0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest				(1,500)
Other, net			(2,701)	(919)
Cash used for financing activities			19,153	31,729
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(4,473)	(1,180)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			18,056	(3,365)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			30,847	25,502
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	48,903	22,137	48,903	22,137
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	(31,937)	(22,090)	(55,704)	(49,029)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	31,790	21,663	55,943	48,621
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 (benefit)			0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable			6,236	(237)
Merchandise inventories			2,422	406
Accounts payable			(6,738)	239
Net change in other assets and liabilities			(2,159)	0
Other, net			0	0
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities			0	$ 0
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment
Additions to property and equipment			0	$ 0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets			0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment			0	0
Cash used for investing activities			0	0
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances			0	0
Repayment of revolving credit facility			0
Change in bank overdraft			0
Cash dividends paid			0	0
Repurchases of common stock			0	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation			0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options				0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest				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 (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	$ 0	$ 0