Other (Income)/Deductions - Net - Schedule of Other Nonoperating Income (Expense) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]
Interest income		$ (36)	$ (73)	$ (225)
Interest expense	[1]	1,291	1,449	1,573
Net interest expense		1,255	1,376	1,348
Royalty-related income		(857)	(770)	(646)
Net (gains)/losses on asset disposals		(99)	237	(32)
Net (gains)/losses recognized during the period on equity securities	[2],[3]	(1,344)	(540)	(454)
Income from collaborations, out-licensing arrangements and sales of compound/product rights	[4]	(396)	(326)	(168)
Net periodic benefit costs/(credits) other than service costs	[5]	(2,547)	311	305
Certain legal matters, net	[6]	182	28	292
Certain asset impairments	[7]	86	1,691	2,792
Business and legal entity alignment costs	[8]	0	0	300
Consumer Healthcare JV equity method (income)/loss	[9]	(471)	(298)	(17)
Other, net	[10]	(687)	(491)	(224)
Other (income)/deductions––net		$ (4,878)	$ 1,219	$ 3,497

[1] Capitalized interest totaled $108 million in 2021, $96 million in 2020 and $88 million in 2019.

[2] Reported in Other (income)/deductions––net. See Note 4.

[3] (b)2021 gains include, among other things, unrealized gains of $1.6 billion related to investments in BioNTech and Cerevel. 2020 gains included, among other things, unrealized gains of $405 million related to investments in BioNTech and SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc. (SpringWorks). 2019 gains included, among other things, unrealized gains of $295 million related to investments in Cortexyme, Inc. and SpringWorks.

[4] 2021 includes, among other things, $188 million of net collaboration income from BioNTech related to the COVID-19 vaccine and $97 million of milestone income from multiple licensees. 2020 included, among other things, (i) a $75 million upfront payment received from our sale of our CK1 assets to Biogen, (ii) $40 million of milestone income from Puma Biotechnology, Inc. related to Neratinib regulatory approvals in the EU, (iii) $30 million of milestone income from Lilly related to the first commercial sale in the U.S. of LOXO-292 for the treatment of RET fusion-positive NSCLC and (iv) $108 million in milestone income from multiple licensees. 2019 included, among other things, $78 million in milestone income from Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. related to the FDA’s approval and launch of Wixela Inhub®, a generic of Advair Diskus®(fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) and $52 million in milestone income from multiple licensees.

[5] Amounts include the impact of a change in accounting principle. See Notes 1C and 11. In 2019, other non-service cost components’ activity related to the Consumer Healthcare JV transaction, such as gain on settlements, were recorded in (Gain) on completion of Consumer Healthcare JV transaction.

[6] Includes legal reserves for certain pending legal matters.

[7] 2020 represents intangible asset impairment charges associated with our Biopharma segment: (i) $900 million related to IPR&D assets for unapproved indications of certain cancer medicines, acquired in our Array acquisition, and reflected, among other things, updated commercial forecasts; (ii) $528 million related to Eucrisa, a finite-lived developed technology right acquired in our Anacor acquisition, and reflected updated commercial forecasts mainly reflecting competitive pressures; and (iii) $263 million related to finite-lived developed technology rights for certain generic sterile injectables acquired in our Hospira acquisition, and reflected updated commercial forecasts mainly reflecting competitive pressures.2019 primarily included intangible asset impairment charges of $2.8 billion, mainly composed of $2.6 billion, related to Eucrisa, and reflected updated commercial forecasts mainly reflecting competitive pressures.

[8] Mainly represents incremental costs for the design, planning and implementation of our then new business structure, effective in the beginning of 2019, and primarily includes consulting, legal, tax and other advisory services.

[9] See Note 2C.

[10] 2021 includes, among other things, (i) income net of costs associated with TSAs of $288 million; (ii) dividend income of $166 million from our investment in ViiV and (iii) charges of $142 million, reflecting the change in the fair value of contingent consideration. 2020 included, among other things, (i) dividend income of $278 million from our investment in ViiV; (ii) income net of costs associated with TSAs of $114 million and (iii) charges of $105 million, reflecting the change in the fair value of contingent consideration. 2019 included, among other things, (i) dividend income of $220 million from our investment in ViiV; (ii) charges of $152 million for external incremental costs, such as transaction costs and costs to separate our Consumer Healthcare business into a separate legal entity, associated with the formation of the Consumer Healthcare JV; and (iii) net losses on early retirement of debt of $138 million.