SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 4,258	$ 3,921	$ 3,889	$ 3,811	$ 4,441	$ 4,065	$ 4,048	$ 3,831	$ 15,879	$ 16,385	$ 17,621
Gross Margin	3,292	2,914	2,898	2,843	3,168	2,890	2,940	2,768	11,947	11,766
Net Earnings	27	732	334	936	735	692	530	623	2,029	2,580	2,501
Net Earnings/(Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	14	11	1	(1)	9		(6)	14	25	17	541
Net Earnings/(Loss) Attributable to BMS	13	721	333	937	726	692	536	609	2,004	2,563	1,960
Earnings per Share - Basic	$ 0.01	$ 0.43	$ 0.20	$ 0.57	$ 0.44	$ 0.42	$ 0.33	$ 0.37	$ 1.21	$ 1.56	$ 1.17
Earnings per Share - Diluted	$ 0.01	$ 0.43	$ 0.20	$ 0.56	$ 0.44	$ 0.42	$ 0.32	$ 0.37	$ 1.20	$ 1.54	$ 1.16
Cash dividends declared per common share	$ 0.37	$ 0.36	$ 0.36	$ 0.36	$ 0.36	$ 0.35	$ 0.35	$ 0.35	$ 1.45	$ 1.41	$ 1.37
Cash and cash equivalents	5,571	4,851	4,282	5,225	3,586	1,771	1,821	1,355	5,571	3,586	1,656	5,776
Marketable securities	6,272	6,698	6,769	5,392	4,686	4,574	4,201	4,420	6,272	4,686
Total Assets	33,749	33,450	33,503	33,424	38,592	36,804	36,252	35,958	33,749	38,592
Long-term Debt		7,267	7,372	7,367		6,562	7,122	7,180
Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities	7,242				7,981				7,242	7,981
Equity	14,983	15,201	15,379	15,531	15,236	14,714	14,373	13,699	14,983	15,236
Cost of products sold	31	36	39	45	102	69	70	85	151	326
Marketing, selling and administrative	1	98	3	3	10	4	1	1	105	16
Research and development	50	65	458	48	16				621	16
Other (income)/expense	850	(203)	67	(88)	39	43	239	19	626	340
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income	932	(4)	567	8	167	116	310	105	1,503	698
Income tax on items above	(297)	33	(102)	(179)	(51)	(40)	(116)	(35)	(545)	(242)
Specified tax charge	123								123
Income taxes - specified items	(174)	33	(102)	(179)					(422)
Increase/(decrease) to Net Earnings	758	29	465	(171)	116	76	194	70	1,081	456
Accelerated Depreciation Asset Impairment And Other Shutdown Costs [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income					36					36
Amortization Of Acquired Intangible Assets [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income					137	137	137	138		549
Amortization of Alliance Proceeds [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income					(71)	(68)	(67)	(67)		(273)
Amortization Of Purchase Price Inventory Adjustment [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income								14		14
Additional year of Branded Prescription Drug Fee [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income		96							96
Process Standardization Implementation Costs [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income	1	2	3	3					9
Upfront, milestone and other licensing payments [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income	50	65	148	15					278
In Process Research And Development Impairment [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income			310	33					343
Provision For Restructuring [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income	91	35	16	21	14	6	173	33	163	226
Gain On Sale Of Product Lines Businesses And Assets [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income	3	(315)	12	(259)					(559)
Pension Curtailments, Settlements and Special Termination Benefits [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income	740	28	45	64	25	37	99		877	161
Acquisition Related Expenses [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income		39	17	16			(10)		72	(10)
Litigation Charges/(Recoveries) [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income	15	10	(23)	25			(23)		27	(23)
Loss On Debt Redemption [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income				45					45
Outlicensed Intangible Asset Impairment [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income	11								11
Upfront, milestone and other licensing receipts [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income	(10)							(14)	(10)	(14)
Additional year of Branded Prescription Drug Fee included in acquisition and alliance related items [Member]
Selected Quarterly Data [Line Items]
Increase/(decrease) to pretax income		$ 16