Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Information, Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2015	Feb. 28, 2014
Net cash provided by operating activities [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 2,337	$ 1,237
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	(643)	(591)
Proceeds from sale of assets	579	209
Return of restricted cash	74	0
Proceeds from sale of business		0
Alliance Boots acquisition, net of cash received	(4,461)	0
Other business and intangible asset acquisitions, net of cash received	(92)	(297)
Purchases of short-term investments held to maturity	(29)	(34)
Proceeds from short-term investments held to maturity	29	34
Investment in AmerisourceBergen	0	(430)
Other	(165)	(59)
Net cash used for investing activities	(4,708)	(1,168)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Payments of short-term borrowings	(330)	0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	12,279	0
Payments of long-term debt	(7,817)
Stock purchases	(594)	(205)
Proceeds related to employee stock plans	293	416
Cash dividends paid	(642)	(597)
Intra-company financing activities, net	0
Other	(360)	(12)
Net cash (used for) provided by financing activities	2,829	(398)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(99)	0
Changes in Cash and Cash Equivalents:
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	359	(329)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2,646	2,106
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3,005	1,777
Guarantor/Issuer Subsidiary [Member]
Net cash provided by operating activities [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,011	471
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	(302)	(342)
Proceeds from sale of assets	121	201
Return of restricted cash	0
Alliance Boots acquisition, net of cash received	0
Other business and intangible asset acquisitions, net of cash received	(27)	(254)
Purchases of short-term investments held to maturity	0	0
Proceeds from short-term investments held to maturity	0	0
Investment in AmerisourceBergen	0	0
Other	(165)	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(373)	(395)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Payments of short-term borrowings	0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments of long-term debt	0
Stock purchases	(500)	(205)
Proceeds related to employee stock plans	154	416
Cash dividends paid	(642)	(597)
Intra-company financing activities, net	(36)
Other	2	(12)
Net cash (used for) provided by financing activities	(1,022)	(398)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0
Changes in Cash and Cash Equivalents:
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(384)	(322)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2,224	1,771
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,840	1,449
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net cash provided by operating activities [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,254	766
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	(341)	(301)
Proceeds from sale of assets	458	60
Return of restricted cash	74
Alliance Boots acquisition, net of cash received	0
Other business and intangible asset acquisitions, net of cash received	(65)	(43)
Purchases of short-term investments held to maturity	(29)	(34)
Proceeds from short-term investments held to maturity	29	34
Investment in AmerisourceBergen	0	(430)
Other	0	(59)
Net cash used for investing activities	126	(773)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Payments of short-term borrowings	(324)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments of long-term debt	(7,817)
Stock purchases	0	0
Proceeds related to employee stock plans	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Intra-company financing activities, net	7,817
Other	(286)	0
Net cash (used for) provided by financing activities	(610)	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(27)
Changes in Cash and Cash Equivalents:
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	743	(7)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	422	335
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,165	328
Parent Company [Member]
Net cash provided by operating activities [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities	72	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Return of restricted cash	0
Proceeds from sale of business		0
Alliance Boots acquisition, net of cash received	(4,461)
Other business and intangible asset acquisitions, net of cash received	0	0
Purchases of short-term investments held to maturity	0	0
Proceeds from short-term investments held to maturity	0	0
Investment in AmerisourceBergen	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(4,461)	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Payments of short-term borrowings	(6)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	12,279
Payments of long-term debt	0
Stock purchases	(94)	0
Proceeds related to employee stock plans	139	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Intra-company financing activities, net	(7,781)
Other	(76)	0
Net cash (used for) provided by financing activities	4,461	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(72)
Changes in Cash and Cash Equivalents:
Net (decrease) increase 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
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Net cash provided by operating activities [Abstract]
Net cash provided by operating activities	0	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment	0	52
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	52
Return of restricted cash	0
Alliance Boots acquisition, net of cash received	0
Other business and intangible asset acquisitions, net of cash received	0	0
Purchases of short-term investments held to maturity	0	0
Proceeds from short-term investments held to maturity	0	0
Investment in AmerisourceBergen	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash used for investing activities	0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Payments of short-term borrowings	0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments of long-term debt	0
Stock purchases	0	0
Proceeds related to employee stock plans	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Intra-company financing activities, net	0
Other	0	0
Net cash (used for) provided by financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0
Changes in Cash and Cash Equivalents:
Net (decrease) increase 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