This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 23
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116868678&loc=d3e1043-128460

Segment reporting - results of operations of reportable segments (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($)	May 31, 2019 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2018 USD ($)	May 31, 2018 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2018 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($) segment	Aug. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments \| segment									3
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Sales to external customers	$ 33,954	$ 34,591	$ 34,528	$ 33,793	$ 33,442	$ 34,334	$ 33,021	$ 30,740	$ 136,866	$ 131,537	$ 118,214
Adjusted operating income									6,942	7,679	7,467
Depreciation and amortization									2,038	1,770	1,654
Capital expenditures									1,702	1,367	1,351
Acquisition-related amortization and impairment									(567)	(448)	(332)
Transformational cost management									(477)	0	0
Acquisition-related costs									(303)	(231)	(474)
Adjustments to equity earnings in AmerisourceBergen									(233)	(175)	(187)
Store optimization									(196)	(100)	0
LIFO provision									(136)	(84)	(166)
Certain legal and regulatory accruals and settlements									(31)	(284)	0
Asset recovery									0	15	11
Hurricane-related costs									0	(83)	0
Cost Transformation									0	0	(835)
Operating income									$ 4,998	$ 6,289	5,484
Two Third-Party Payers \| Revenues
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Concentration risk (as a percent)									22.00%
Three Third-Party Payers \| Revenues
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Concentration risk (as a percent)										32.00%
Operating Segments \| Retail Pharmacy USA
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Sales to external customers									$ 104,532	$ 98,392	87,302
Adjusted operating income									5,255	5,814	5,606
Depreciation and amortization									1,459	1,196	1,090
Capital expenditures									1,323	1,022	860
Operating Segments \| Retail Pharmacy International
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Sales to external customers									11,462	12,281	11,813
Adjusted operating income									747	929	939
Depreciation and amortization									429	419	414
Capital expenditures									275	241	384
Operating Segments \| Pharmaceutical Wholesale
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Sales to external customers									23,053	23,006	21,188
Adjusted operating income									939	936	922
Depreciation and amortization									150	155	150
Capital expenditures									104	104	107
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Sales to external customers									(2,180)	(2,142)	(2,089)
Adjusted operating income									$ 1
Boots Reporting Unit \| Pharmacy licenses
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Impairment of intangible assets	$ 73