Pension Benefits (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Pension Benefits [Abstract]

Schedule Of Net Periodic Expense For Pension Plans

		Years Ended March 31,
(In millions)		2012			2011			2010
Service cost—benefits earned during the year	$	7		$	6		$	4
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		31			31			35
Expected return on assets		(31	)		(29	)		(24	)
Amortization of unrecognized actuarial loss, prior
service costs and net transitional obligation		27			28			25
Net periodic pension expense	$	34		$	36		$	40

Schedule Of Changes In Benefit Obligations And Plan Assets

		Years Ended March 31,
(In millions)		2012			2011
Change in benefit obligations
Benefit obligation at beginning of period	$	625		$	593
Service cost		7			6
Interest cost		31			31
Actuarial loss		42			21
Benefit payments		(34	)		(32	)
Foreign exchange impact and other		(1	)		6
Benefit obligation at end of period (1)	$	670		$	625
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of period	$	416		$	391
Actual return on plan assets		12			40
Employer and participant contributions		17			11
Benefits paid		(34	)		(32	)
Foreign exchange impact and other		(1	)		6
Fair value of plan assets at end of period	$	410		$	416
Funded status at end of period	$	(260	)	$	(209	)
Amounts recognized on the balance sheet
Long-term assets	$	0		$	4
Current liabilities		(13	)		(4	)
Long-term liabilities		(247	)		(209	)
Total	$	(260	)	$	(209	)

(1) The benefit obligation is the projected benefit obligation.

Schedule Of Projected Benefit Obligation, Accumulated Benefit Obligation And Fair Value Of Plan Assets For Pension Plans

	March 31,
(In millions)		2012		2011
Projected benefit obligation	$	670	$	533
Accumulated benefit obligation		667		529
Fair value of plan assets		410		319

Schedule Of Amounts Recognized In Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

	March 31,
(In millions)		2012		2011
Net actuarial loss	$	274	$	239
Prior service cost		1		2
Net transition obligation		1		1
Total	$	276	$	242

Schedule Of Other Changes In Plan Assets And Benefit Obligations Recognized In Other Comprehensive Income

	Years Ended March 31,
(In millions)		2012			2011			2010
Net actuarial loss	$	61		$	10		$	59
Prior service credit		0			0			(2	)
Amortization of:
Net actuarial loss		(25	)		(26	)		(23	)
Prior service cost		(2	)		(2	)		(2	)
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other
comprehensive loss (income)	$	34		$	(18	)	$	32

Schedule Of Weighted-Average Assumptions Used To Estimate Net Periodic Pension Expense And Actuarial Present Value Of Benefit Obligations

			Years Ended March 31,
	2012		2011		2010
Net periodic pension expense
Discount rates	4.98	%	5.30	%	7.68	%
Rate of increase in compensation	3.74		3.75		3.62
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.60		7.79		7.90
Benefit obligation
Discount rates	4.23	%	4.99	%	5.33	%
Rate of increase in compensation	3.56		3.74		3.75

Schedule Of Sensitivity To Changes In Weighted-Average Discount Rate For U.S. Pension Plans

		One Percentage			One Percentage
(In millions)		Point Increase			Point Decrease
Increase (decrease) on projected benefit obligation	$	(38	)	$	44
Increase (decrease) on net periodic pension cost		(2	)		3

Summary Of Pension Plan Assets Using Fair Value Hierarchy By Asset Class

		March 31, 2012
(In millions)		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Cash and cash equivalents	$	14	$	14	$	0	$	28
Equity securities:
Common stock		100		0		0		100
Equity commingled funds		0		134		0		134
Fixed income securities:
Government securities		0		11		0		11
Corporate bonds		0		48		0		48
Mortgage-backed securities		0		21		0		21
Asset-backed securities and other		0		20		0		20
Fixed income commingled funds		0		25		0		25
Other:
Real estate funds		0		0		17		17
Other commingled funds		0		12		0		12
Total	$	114	$	285	$	17		416
Receivables (1)								6
Payables (1)								(12	)
Total							$	410

(1) Represents pending trades at March 31, 2012.

	March 31, 2011
(In millions)		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Cash and cash equivalents	$	14	$	31	$	0	$	45
Equity securities:
Common and preferred stock		104		1		0		105
Equity commingled funds		0		144		0		144
Fixed income securities:
Government securities		0		20		0		20
Corporate bonds		0		26		0		26
Mortgage-backed securities		0		28		0		28
Asset-backed securities and other		0		19		0		19
Fixed income commingled funds		0		34		0		34
Other:
Real estate funds		0		0		5		5
Hedge funds		0		0		5		5
Total	$	118	$	303	$	10		431
Receivables (1)								19
Payables (1)								(34	)
Total							$	416

(1) Represents pending trades at March 31, 2011.

Schedule Of Reconciliation Of Level 3 Plan Assets Held

		Real Estate			Hedge
(In millions)		Funds			Funds			Other			Total
Balance at March 31, 2010	$	19		$	5		$	2		$	26
Purchases, sales and settlements		(14	)		0			0			(14	)
Transfer in and/or out of Level 3		0			0			(2	)		(2	)
Balance at March 31, 2011	$	5		$	5		$	0		$	10
Unrealized gain on plan assets still held		1			0			0			1
Purchases, sales and settlements		11			(5	)		0			6
Balance at March 31, 2012	$	17		$	0		$	0		$	17

Schedule Of Profit Sharing Investment Plan (PSIP) Expense By Segment

	Years Ended March 31,
(In millions)		2012		2011		2010
Distribution Solutions	$	22	$	23	$	0
Technology Solutions		30		32		1
Corporate		6		4		0
PSIP expense	$	58	$	59	$	1
Cost of sales (1)	$	17	$	17	$	0
Operating expenses		41		42		1
PSIP expense	$	58	$	59	$	1

(1) Amounts recorded to cost of sales pertain solely to our McKesson Technology Solutions segment.