Commitments and Contingencies (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended						1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2012		Apr. 03, 2011		Apr. 01, 2012 Hormone Replacement Therapy [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] Hormone Replacement Therapy [Member] Claim	Aug. 31, 2004 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] American Optical Corp subsidiary of Warner-Lambert [Member] Claim	Apr. 01, 2012 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] Pfizer - Neurontin Product [Member]	Jan. 31, 2011 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] Pfizer - Neurontin Product [Member]	Nov. 30, 2010 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] Pfizer - Neurontin Product [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] IREF -Trade Secrets Action [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] IREF -Trade Secrets Action [Member]	Dec. 31, 2005 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] March 2005 proposed settlement [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]	Mar. 31, 2005 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] March 2005 proposed settlement [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]	Sep. 26, 2004 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] March 2005 proposed settlement [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] Court settlement rejection and Pfizer motion to appeal [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] Court settlement rejection and Pfizer motion to appeal [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] March 2011 proposed settlement [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]	May 31, 2011 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] March 2011 proposed settlement [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] March 2011 proposed settlement [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member] Claimant	Apr. 01, 2012 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] March 2011 proposed settlement [Member] Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Proposed Settlement [Member] Brigham Young University [Member] Celebrex [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Product litigation charge, pre-tax	$ 814	[1]	$ 501	[1]												$ 369		$ 1,300					$ 450
Product litigation charge, after-tax																229		800
Settlement agreement date																							Apr. 28, 2012
Notice of appeal and related motion																	October 2010
The minimum percentage of votes needed from claimants to approve the proposed bankruptcy reorganization plan															75.00%
Percentage of claimants that agreed to 2004 proposed settlement															80.00%
Gross settlement amount offered															430
Claims payment amount for qualified claimants, first or only payment														215					500
Number of Ad Hoc Committee claimants agreeing to the company's proposed settlement offer																					40,000
Claims payment amount for qualified claimants, second payment																					300
Claims installment, payment terms																					Following the earlier of the effective date of a revised plan of reorganization and April 6, 2013
Agreed-upon payment amount of plaintiff's legal fees and expenses																				19
Agreed upon amount of assets (cash and non-cash) to be contributed to a special purpose trust created to pay claimants, if Quigley's proposed reorganization plan is approved by the court																						550
Insurance settlement, gross recovery							405
Insurance settlement collection period							10 years
Number of claims seeking damages						10,000		67,700
Litigation settlement expense					896
Estimated minimum cost to resolve outstanding actions					330
Cumulative percentage of actions settled					60.00%
Damages awarded by the court										47.4	65.4		38.7
Treble damages amount awarded, under appeal										$ 142.1
Actions being taken by Pfizer									In August 2011, Pfizer appealed the District Court's judgment to the US Court of Appeals			In July 2009, the court has granted Pfizer's motion for a new trial and vacated the jury verdict

[1] In 2012, primarily relates to a $450 million charge in connection with an agreement-in-principle to settle a lawsuit by Brigham Young University related to Celebrex and charges for hormone-replacement therapy litigation. In 2011, primarily relates to charges for hormone-replacement therapy litigation (see Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies).