Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012 item	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting
Number of segments			3
Segment reporting information
Net revenues	$ 30,714,000,000	$ 26,414,000,000	$ 61,512,000,000	$ 52,109,000,000
Gross profit	5,449,000,000	5,086,000,000	10,562,000,000	9,828,000,000
Operating profit (loss)	1,708,000,000	1,484,000,000	3,111,000,000	2,789,000,000
Total assets	65,589,000,000		65,589,000,000		64,543,000,000
Goodwill	26,425,000,000		26,425,000,000		26,458,000,000
Intersegment eliminations, intersegment revenues	840,000,000	626,000,000	1,600,000,000	1,200,000,000
Pharmacy Services Segment
Segment reporting information
Number of states pharmacies operated	22		22
Number of drugstores	7,323		7,323
Net revenues	18,423,000,000	14,374,000,000	36,722,000,000	28,203,000,000
Gross profit	777,000,000	720,000,000	1,393,000,000	1,350,000,000
Operating profit (loss)	511,000,000	448,000,000	860,000,000	839,000,000
Total assets	36,039,000,000		36,039,000,000		35,704,000,000
Goodwill	19,624,000,000		19,624,000,000		19,657,000,000
Net revenues, retail co-payments	2,100,000,000	1,900,000,000	4,400,000,000	4,100,000,000
Intersegment eliminations, intersegment gross profit	97,000,000	42,000,000	172,000,000	77,000,000
Pharmacy Services Segment | Specialty stores
Segment reporting information
Number of pharmacies	31		31
Pharmacy Services Segment | Specialty mail order
Segment reporting information
Number of pharmacies	12		12
Pharmacy Services Segment | Mail service
Segment reporting information
Number of pharmacies	5		5
Retail Pharmacy Segment
Segment reporting information
Number of states pharmacies operated	41		41
Number of drugstores	7,381		7,381
Net revenues	15,846,000,000	14,826,000,000	31,869,000,000	29,413,000,000
Gross profit	4,769,000,000	4,408,000,000	9,341,000,000	8,555,000,000
Operating profit (loss)	1,469,000,000	1,240,000,000	2,766,000,000	2,336,000,000
Total assets	28,951,000,000		28,951,000,000		28,323,000,000
Goodwill	6,801,000,000		6,801,000,000		6,801,000,000
Intersegment eliminations, intersegment gross profit	97,000,000	42,000,000	172,000,000	77,000,000
Retail Pharmacy Segment | MinuteClinic within CVS Pharmacy Stores
Segment reporting information
Number of drugstores	577		577
Retail Pharmacy Segment | MinuteClinic
Segment reporting information
Number of drugstores	584		584
Retail Pharmacy Segment | Specialty stores
Segment reporting information
Number of pharmacies	28		28
Corporate Segment
Segment reporting information
Operating profit (loss)	(175,000,000)	(162,000,000)	(343,000,000)	(309,000,000)
Total assets	1,253,000,000		1,253,000,000		1,121,000,000
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment reporting information
Net revenues	(3,555,000,000)	(2,786,000,000)	(7,079,000,000)	(5,507,000,000)
Gross profit	(97,000,000)	(42,000,000)	(172,000,000)	(77,000,000)
Operating profit (loss)	(97,000,000)	(42,000,000)	(172,000,000)	(77,000,000)
Total assets	$ (654,000,000)		$ (654,000,000)		$ (605,000,000)
Number of type of transactions related to intersegment eliminations			2