Restructuring Charges and Other Costs Associated with Acquisitions and Cost-Reduction/Productivity Initiatives (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	36 Months Ended
		Sep. 03, 2015	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 03, 2018
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Integration costs	[1]		$ 73	$ 74	$ 224	$ 300
Restructuring charges:
Employee terminations	[2]		(20)	347	9	464
Asset impairments	[2],[3]		101	27	126	45
Exit costs	[2]		10	29	16	64
Total restructuring charges	[2]		91	404	150	574
Transaction costs	[4]		(14)	54	4	114
Integration costs	[1]		73	74	224	300
Restructuring charges and certain acquisition-related costs	[5]		149	531	377	988
Total additional depreciation––asset restructuring	[6]		39	47	74	151
Implementation costs recorded in our condensed consolidated statements of income as follows:
Total implementation costs	[7]		57	78	150	202
Total costs associated with acquisitions and cost-reduction/productivity initiatives			245	655	601	1,341
Cost of Sales [Member]
Restructuring charges:
Total additional depreciation––asset restructuring	[6]		39	46	74	145
Implementation costs recorded in our condensed consolidated statements of income as follows:
Total implementation costs	[7]		26	46	77	127
Selling, Informational and Administrative Expenses [Member]
Implementation costs recorded in our condensed consolidated statements of income as follows:
Total implementation costs	[7]		22	23	46	56
Research and Development Expense [Member]
Restructuring charges:
Total additional depreciation––asset restructuring	[6]		0	1	0	5
Implementation costs recorded in our condensed consolidated statements of income as follows:
Total implementation costs	[7]		9	8	26	17
Other (Income)/Deductions - Net [Member]
Implementation costs recorded in our condensed consolidated statements of income as follows:
Total implementation costs	[7]		0	$ 1	0	$ 2
Enterprise-wide Cost Reduction/Productivity Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring cost incurred associated with the return of acquired in-process research and development rights					253
Expected restructuring cost			1,000		$ 1,000
Percentage of expected costs to be non-cash					20.00%
Manufacturing Plant Network Optimization [Member] | Enterprise-wide Cost Reduction/Productivity Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Expected restructuring cost			800		$ 800
Restructuring costs incurred			122		122
Centralization of Corporate and Platform Functions [Member] | Enterprise-wide Cost Reduction/Productivity Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Expected restructuring cost			200		200
Restructuring costs incurred			$ 131		131
Business Integration Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring cost incurred associated with the return of acquired in-process research and development rights					110
Hospira [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Expected integration related costs, period		3 years
Hospira [Member] | Return of Acquired Rights [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring cost incurred associated with the return of acquired in-process research and development rights							$ 215
Hospira [Member] | Business Integration Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring cost incurred associated with the return of acquired in-process research and development rights					$ 238
Forecast [Member] | Hospira [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Integration costs								$ 1,000
Restructuring charges:
Integration costs								$ 1,000

[1] Integration costs represent external, incremental costs directly related to integrating acquired businesses, and primarily include expenditures for consulting and the integration of systems and processes. In the third quarter and first nine months of 2017, integration costs primarily relate to our acquisitions of Hospira and Medivation. The first nine months of 2017 also include a net gain of $12 million related to the settlement of the Hospira U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan (see Note 10). In the third quarter of 2016, integration costs were mostly related to our acquisition of Hospira, and in the first nine months of 2016, integration costs were mostly related to our acquisition of Hospira and our terminated transaction with Allergan.

[2] In the third quarter and first nine months of 2017, restructuring charges are primarily associated with our acquisitions of Hospira and Medivation, as well as cost-reduction and productivity initiatives not associated with acquisitions. In the third quarter and first nine months of 2016, restructuring charges are largely associated with cost-reduction and productivity initiatives not associated with acquisitions, as well as our acquisitions of Hospira and Medivation. In the third quarter and first nine months ended October 1, 2017, Employee terminations primarily include revisions of our estimates of severance benefits. Employee termination costs are generally recorded when the actions are probable and estimable and include accrued severance benefits, pension and postretirement benefits, many of which may be paid out during periods after termination. The restructuring activities for 2017 are associated with the following: • For the third quarter of 2017, IH ($4 million); EH ($1 million); WRD/GPD ($15 million); manufacturing operations ($47 million); and Corporate ($25 million). • For the first nine months of 2017, IH ($10 million); EH ($9 million income); WRD/GPD ($29 million); manufacturing operations ($70 million); and Corporate ($51 million). The restructuring activities for 2016 are associated with the following: • For the third quarter of 2016, IH ($148 million); EH ($28 million); WRD/GPD ($52 million); manufacturing operations ($108 million); and Corporate ($67 million). • For the first nine months of 2016, IH ($162 million); EH ($19 million); WRD/GPD ($104 million); manufacturing operations ($181 million); and Corporate ($107 million).

[3] The asset impairment charges for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2017 are largely associated with our acquisitions of Hospira and Medivation.

[4] Transaction costs represent external costs for banking, legal, accounting and other similar services, which in the third quarter of 2017 reflect the reversal of an accrual related to the acquisition of Medivation. Transaction costs for the first nine months of 2017 are directly related to our acquisitions of Hospira, Anacor and Medivation. Transaction costs in the third quarter of 2016 were mostly related to the Medivation acquisition, and in the first nine months of 2016, were mostly related to the Medivation and Anacor acquisitions, and our terminated transaction with Allergan.

[5] Amounts may not add due to rounding.

[6] Additional depreciation––asset restructuring represents the impact of changes in the estimated useful lives of assets involved in restructuring actions.

[7] Implementation costs represent external, incremental costs directly related to implementing our non-acquisition-related cost-reduction/productivity initiatives.