Name:	cvs_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesAgreementAmount
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Accelerated Share Repurchases, Maximum Number of Shares

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesMaximumNumberofShares
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Accelerated Share Repurchases, Number of Agreements

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesNumberofAgreements
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents the number of shares of common stock repurchased under the entity's fixed dollar accelerated share repurchase agreement with Barclays Bank PLC.

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesNumberofSharesRepurchased
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Accelerated Share Repurchases, Percent of Notional Amount Received in Shares

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesPercentofNotionalAmountReceivedinShares
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Accelerated Share Repurchases, Percent of Notional Amount in Shares to be Received at End of Program

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Represent value of shares transferred from trust to treasury shares.

No definition available.

Name:	cvs_TransferOfSharesToTreasuryStockValue
Namespace Prefix:	cvs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 13
-Sentence Column B

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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Period Type:	duration

Amount of stock repurchase plan authorized.

No definition available.

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount remaining of a stock repurchase plan authorized.

No definition available.

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Number of shares that have been repurchased during the period and have not been retired and are not held in treasury. Some state laws may govern the circumstances under which an entity may acquire its own stock and prescribe the accounting treatment therefore. This element is used when state law does not recognize treasury stock.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(28))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(29))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

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Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
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Period Type:	duration

Equity impact of the value of stock that has been repurchased during the period and has not been retired and is not held in treasury. Some state laws may mandate the circumstances under which an entity may acquire its own stock and prescribe the accounting treatment therefore. This element is used when state law does not recognize treasury stock.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(29))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(28))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=cvs_ShareRepurchaseProgram2016Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=cvs_RepurchaseProgram2014Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeForwardMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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