Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Income) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	$ 2,422,167	$ 2,305,858	$ 4,813,363	$ 4,562,239
Cost of goods sold	2,123,830	2,023,586	4,217,425	3,998,771
Gross margin	298,337	282,272	595,938	563,468
Selling, general and administrative expenses	231,498	225,838	465,323	451,448
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	5,707	7,593	15,623	10,855
Depreciation and amortization	15,460	13,892	31,329	27,756
Other operating income, net	(2,188)	(2,152)	(5,172)	(9,978)
Operating earnings	47,860	37,101	88,835	83,387
Interest expense (income), net	6,680	3,342	13,560	6,589
Income before income taxes	41,180	33,759	75,275	76,798
Income tax (benefit) provision	16,954	13,883	32,109	31,436
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	24,226	19,876	43,166	45,362
Other comprehensive income (loss)	6,858	(443)	(20,787)	122
Comprehensive income	31,084	19,433	22,379	45,484
Owens & Minor, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	0	0	0	0
Cost of goods sold	0	0	0	0
Gross margin	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	626	61	665	14
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	2	0	1
Other operating income, net	0	0	0	0
Operating earnings	(626)	(63)	(665)	(15)
Interest expense (income), net	6,938	2,924	12,885	5,399
Income before income taxes	(7,564)	(2,987)	(13,550)	(5,414)
Income tax (benefit) provision	0	(1,200)	(773)	(2,155)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	31,790	21,663	55,943	48,621
Net income	24,226	19,876	43,166	45,362
Other comprehensive income (loss)	6,858	(443)	(20,787)	122
Comprehensive income	31,084	19,433	22,379	45,484
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	2,279,725	2,187,130	4,529,430	4,335,495
Cost of goods sold	2,064,515	1,978,815	4,098,327	3,918,280
Gross margin	215,210	208,315	431,103	417,215
Selling, general and administrative expenses	160,348	152,122	320,925	306,372
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	256	3,886	3,833	5,180
Depreciation and amortization	8,910	8,790	18,014	17,741
Other operating income, net	(1,354)	(814)	(2,331)	(7,877)
Operating earnings	47,050	44,331	90,662	95,799
Interest expense (income), net	(233)	791	581	2,034
Income before income taxes	47,283	43,540	90,081	93,765
Income tax (benefit) provision	16,973	17,808	31,759	37,994
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	30,310	25,732	58,322	55,771
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(21,839)	111	(21,335)	218
Comprehensive income	8,471	25,843	36,987	55,989
Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	178,844	137,683	360,204	257,558
Cost of goods sold	95,570	63,299	195,608	110,897
Gross margin	83,274	74,384	164,596	146,661
Selling, general and administrative expenses	70,524	73,655	143,733	145,062
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	5,451	3,707	11,790	5,675
Depreciation and amortization	6,550	5,100	13,315	10,014
Other operating income, net	(834)	(1,338)	(2,841)	(2,101)
Operating earnings	1,583	(6,740)	(1,401)	(11,989)
Interest expense (income), net	(25)	(373)	94	(844)
Income before income taxes	1,608	(6,367)	(1,495)	(11,145)
Income tax (benefit) provision	(19)	(2,725)	1,123	(4,403)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	1,627	(3,642)	(2,618)	(6,742)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	28,696	(570)	548	(103)
Comprehensive income	30,323	(4,212)	(2,070)	(6,845)
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenue	(36,402)	(18,955)	(76,271)	(30,814)
Cost of goods sold	(36,255)	(18,528)	(76,510)	(30,406)
Gross margin	(147)	(427)	239	(408)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Acquisition-related and exit and realignment charges	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Other operating income, net	0	0	0	0
Operating earnings	(147)	(427)	239	(408)
Interest expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(147)	(427)	239	(408)
Income tax (benefit) provision	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(31,790)	(21,663)	(55,943)	(48,621)
Net income	(31,937)	(22,090)	(55,704)	(49,029)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(6,857)	459	20,787	(115)
Comprehensive income	$ (38,794)	$ (21,631)	$ (34,917)	$ (49,144)