Other (Income)/Deductions - Net (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 29, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012		Dec. 31, 2012
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Taxes and other current assets	$ 7,835				$ 7,835				$ 8,956
Taxes and other noncurrent assets	4,982				4,982				4,798
Insurance settlement gross recovery					80
Product litigation, hormone replacement therapy	1	[1]	727	[1]	(94)	[1]	2,014	[1]
Intangible asset impairments	185				674		457
NextWave Pharmaceuticals, Inc. [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Change in Amount of Contingent Consideration, Liability	128				109
Indefinite Lived Brands [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments					109	[2]
In-Process Research And Development [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments	90				171	[2]	314
Developed Technology Rights [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments					394	[2]	98
Celebrex [Member] | Brigham Young University [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Product litigation, hormone replacement therapy							450
Xanax [Member] | Indefinite Lived Brands [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments	95				109
Rapamune [Member] | U.S. Department of Justice [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Product litigation, hormone replacement therapy			491				491
Robitussin [Member] | Consumer Healthcare [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments							45
Worldwide Research and Development [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments					43		297
Established Products [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments					185		44
Primary Care [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments					38		52
Consumer Healthcare [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments					14		45
Specialty Care [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments					394		19
Certain Investments [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments							67
IPO [Member] | Zoetis [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership interests owned by public stockholders	19.80%				19.80%
Brazil Generics Company [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairments	32				39
Equity method investment, realized gain (loss)	(223)				(223)
Equity method investment, ownership percentage	40.00%				40.00%
Equity method investment, other than temporary impairment					32
Hisun Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd [Member] | Pfizer [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Equity method investment, ownership percentage	49.00%				49.00%
Litigation Settlement Payment [Member] | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. [Member] | Wyeth - Protonix [Member]
Operating and Other Costs and Expenses [Line Items]
Taxes and other current assets	474				474
Taxes and other noncurrent assets	$ 128				$ 128

[1] In the first nine months of 2013, primarily includes an $80 million insurance recovery related to a certain litigation matter. In the third quarter of 2012, primarily includes a $491 million charge relating to the resolution of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into Wyeth's historical promotional practices in connection with Rapamune. In the first nine months of 2012, primarily includes the aforementioned $491 million charge related to Rapamune, a $450 million settlement of a lawsuit by Brigham Young University related to Celebrex, and charges for hormone-replacement therapy litigation. For additional information, see Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies.

[2] Reflects intangible assets written down to their fair value in the first nine months of 2013. Fair value was determined using the income approach, specifically the multi-period excess earnings method, also known as the discounted cash flow method. We started with a forecast of all the expected net cash flows associated with the asset and then we applied an asset-specific discount rate to arrive at a net present value amount. Some of the more significant estimates and assumptions inherent in this approach include: the amount and timing of the projected net cash flows, which includes the expected impact of competitive, legal and/or regulatory forces on the product and the impact of technological risk associated with IPR&D assets; the discount rate, which seeks to reflect the various risks inherent in the projected cash flows; and the tax rate, which seeks to incorporate the geographic diversity of the projected cash flows.