Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Cash Flows) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 45,362	$ 54,970
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	27,756	24,905
Share-based compensation expense	4,190	3,449
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense	(5,151)	5,777
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	334	315
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	28,477	1,789
Merchandise inventories	(48,575)	(31,176)
Accounts payable	54,922	191,406
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(32,765)	(69,462)
Other, net	(1,078)	(2,794)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities	73,472	179,179
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment	1,937	0
Additions to property and equipment	(25,657)	(16,221)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(13,166)	(14,826)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	45	68
Cash used for investing activities	(36,841)	(30,979)
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances	0	0
Cash dividends paid	(31,564)	(30,411)
Repurchases of common stock	(9,448)	(8,297)
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	444	550
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	1,180	4,195
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(1,500)	0
Other, net	(4,441)	(5,167)
Cash used for financing activities	(45,329)	(39,130)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,180)	868
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(9,878)	109,938
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	101,905	97,888
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	92,027	207,826
Owens & Minor, Inc.
Operating activities:
Net income (loss)	45,362	54,970
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(48,621)	(61,393)
Depreciation and amortization	1	7
Share-based compensation expense	0	0
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(952)	636
Other, net	(776)	(809)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities	(4,986)	(6,589)
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment
Additions to property and equipment	0	0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Cash used for investing activities	0	0
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances	28,847	143,569
Cash dividends paid	(31,564)	(30,411)
Repurchases of common stock	(9,448)	(8,297)
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	444	550
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	1,180	4,195
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Other, net	(2,072)	(2,510)
Cash used for financing activities	(12,613)	107,096
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(17,599)	100,507
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	74,391	58,190
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	56,792	158,697
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating activities:
Net income (loss)	55,771	64,844
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	17,741	17,924
Share-based compensation expense	4,190	3,449
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense	(4,117)	7,443
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	146	297
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	28,286	3,061
Merchandise inventories	(38,733)	(23,151)
Accounts payable	54,860	151,208
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(15,272)	(24,934)
Other, net	(280)	331
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities	102,592	200,472
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment	1,937
Additions to property and equipment	(16,777)	(12,640)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(12,256)	(11,816)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	35	59
Cash used for investing activities	(27,061)	(24,397)
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances	(62,995)	(174,270)
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Repurchases of common stock	0	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Other, net	(1,450)	(1,364)
Cash used for financing activities	(64,445)	(175,634)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	11,086	441
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2,012	13,641
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	13,098	14,082
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(6,742)	(3,090)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	10,014	6,974
Share-based compensation expense	0	0
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense	(1,034)	(1,666)
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	188	18
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	428	426
Merchandise inventories	(10,248)	(8,386)
Accounts payable	(177)	38,500
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(16,541)	(45,164)
Other, net	(22)	(2,316)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities	(24,134)	(14,704)
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment
Additions to property and equipment	(8,880)	(3,581)
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	(910)	(3,010)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	10	9
Cash used for investing activities	(9,780)	(6,582)
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances	34,148	30,701
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Repurchases of common stock	0	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(1,500)
Other, net	(919)	(1,293)
Cash used for financing activities	31,729	29,408
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,180)	868
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(3,365)	8,990
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	25,502	26,057
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	22,137	35,047
Eliminations
Operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(49,029)	(61,754)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	48,621	61,393
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Share-based compensation expense	0	0
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts and notes receivable	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	(237)	(1,698)
Merchandise inventories	406	361
Accounts payable	239	1,698
Net change in other assets and liabilities	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities	0	0
Investing activities:
Proceeds from the sale of investment
Additions to property and equipment	0	0
Additions to computer software and intangible assets	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Cash used for investing activities	0	0
Financing activities:
Change in intercompany advances	0	0
Cash dividends paid	0	0
Repurchases of common stock	0	0
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Other, net	0	0
Cash used for financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) 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