Segment, Geographic and Other Revenue Information - Footnotes (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended
		Apr. 01, 2018	Apr. 02, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income (charges) for certain legal matters		$ 19	$ (8)
Gain (loss) on sale of HIS net assets	[1],[2]	(3)	(37)
Business and legal entity alignment costs	[3]	3	21
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost reduction and productivity initiatives excluding acquisition related costs		51	30
Income (charges) for certain legal matters		19	(8)
Business and legal entity alignment costs		3	21
Other charges		163	61
Special one-time bonus paid to all non-executive Pfizer colleagues		108
HIS [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on sale of HIS net assets		3	(37)
ViiV Healthcare Limited [Member] | IH [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Dividend income		$ (59)	(43)
Adjustment [Member] | Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Costs and expenses			(9)
Adjustment [Member] | IH [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Costs and expenses			(98)
Adjustment [Member] | EH [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Costs and expenses			$ (33)

[1] Amounts may not add due to rounding.

[2] In the first quarter of 2018 and 2017, represents an incremental charge to amounts previously recorded in 2016 to write down the HIS net assets to fair value less costs to sell related to the sale of HIS net assets to ICU Medical on February 3, 2017. For additional information, see Note 2B.

[3] In the first quarter of 2018 and 2017, represents expenses for changes to our infrastructure to align our commercial operations, including costs to internally separate our businesses into distinct legal entities, as well as to streamline our intercompany supply operations to better support each business.