Business Combinations and Divestitures - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended				4 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 16, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Oct. 01, 2017	Jul. 02, 2017	Apr. 02, 2017	Oct. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017	Jan. 03, 2016	Dec. 30, 2012
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 10,000,000,000					$ 10,000,000,000
Goodwill		31,906,000,000					31,906,000,000	$ 22,805,000,000	$ 21,629,000,000
Acquisition payments							35,151,000,000	4,509,000,000	954,000,000
Acquisition related costs		217,000,000
Liabilities assumed							1,786,000,000	77,000,000	220,000,000
Contingent consideration									210,000,000
Indefinite lived intangible assets		11,283,000,000					11,283,000,000	10,331,000,000
Purchase price							35,151,000,000	4,509,000,000	954,000,000
Asset write-downs							795,000,000	283,000,000	624,000,000
Gain on divestitures, pre-tax							1,300,000,000	600,000,000	2,600,000,000
2017 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price over fair value of assets acquired		34,379,000,000					34,379,000,000
2016 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price over fair value of assets acquired								$ 4,077,000,000
Vogue International LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life								22 years
Actelion
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Provisional Information, Initial Accounting Incomplete, Adjustment, Inventory	$ 642,000,000
Goodwill, Subsequent Recognition of Deferred Tax Asset						$ 200,000,000
Business Combination, Initial Accounting Incomplete, Adjustment, Current Liabilities						$ 400,000,000
Goodwill	$ 5,986,000,000	6,161,000,000					6,161,000,000
Acquisition payments							29,600,000,000
Acquisition price (in dollars per share)	$ 280
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life	9 years
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Revenue of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual							1,400,000,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Earnings or Loss of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual							(1,400,000,000)
Acquisition related costs			$ 367,000,000	$ 213,000,000			800,000,000
Idorsia [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired	9.90%
Convertible Note, Equity Interest, Percentage	22.10%
AMO
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life					14 years 4 months 24 days
Acquisition related costs					$ 38,000,000
2015 acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price over fair value of assets acquired									$ 1,173,000,000
XO1
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Probability of success (as a percent)									36.00%
Discount rate (as a percent)									11.75%
Synthes, Inc
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price										$ 20,200,000,000
In Process Research and Development [Member] | Actelion
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	9.00%
Purchased in-process research and development
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite lived intangible assets		4,201,000,000					4,201,000,000	$ 3,443,000,000
Purchased in-process research and development | XO1 and Novira Therapeutics
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite lived intangible assets									$ 839,000,000
Purchased in-process research and development | XO1
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite lived intangible assets									360,000,000
Purchased in-process research and development | Novira
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite lived intangible assets									$ 396,000,000
Probability of success (as a percent)									51.00%
Discount rate (as a percent)									16.00%
Medical Devices
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill		13,922,000,000					13,922,000,000	11,702,000,000	$ 11,500,000,000
Asset write-downs				$ 182,000,000			215,000,000		346,000,000
Medical Devices | AMO
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill		1,700,000,000			1,700,000,000		1,700,000,000
Acquisition payments					4,300,000,000
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired					$ 2,300,000,000		2,300,000,000
Acquisition related costs							140,000,000
Consumer
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill		8,875,000,000					8,875,000,000	8,263,000,000	$ 7,240,000,000
Consumer | Vogue International LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition payments								3,300,000,000
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired								2,300,000,000
Business Acquisition, Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount								$ 1,100,000,000
Maximum | Actelion
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	10 years
Minimum | Actelion
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	4 years
In Process Research and Development [Member] | 2017 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price over fair value of assets acquired		$ 1,139,000,000					$ 1,139,000,000
Trademarks | Vogue International LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life								22 years
Trademarks | Maximum | Vogue International LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life								22 years
Trademarks | Minimum | Vogue International LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life								10 years
Line of Credit [Member] | Idorsia [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 250,000,000
Convertible Debt [Member] | Idorsia [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 500,000,000
Debt Instrument, Term	10 years
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One [Member] | Convertible Debt [Member] | Idorsia [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Restrictive Covenants, Shareholder Ownership Threshold, Percent	20.00%
Convertible Note, Equity Interest, Percentage	16.00%
Research and Development Expense [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Concentration risk (as a percent)							5.00%