2.2.0.25truefalse40302 - Disclosure - BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION (Schedule of Percentage of Total Gross Sales) (Details)truefalsefalse1falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : McKesson Corporation [Member]
1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_12_31_20102228http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corporation [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_MckessonCorporationMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Stand
ardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli02falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : McKesson Corporation [Member]
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
Duration_1_1_2009_To_12_31_200920http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corporation [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_MckessonCorporationMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standar
dhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli03falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : McKesson Corporation [Member]
1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008
Duration_1_1_2008_To_12_31_20084353http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2008-01-01T00:00:002008-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corporation [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_MckessonCorporationMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Stand
ardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli01false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.bms.com/taxonomy/role/disclosurebusinesssegmentinformationscheduleofpercentageoftotalgrosssalesdetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsetruefalse{
us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : McKesson Corporation [Member]
1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_12_31_20102228http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corporation [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_MckessonCorporationMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Stand
ardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli02falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : McKesson Corporation [Member]
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
Duration_1_1_2009_To_12_31_200920http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corporation [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_MckessonCorporationMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standar
dhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli03falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : McKesson Corporation [Member]
1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008
Duration_1_1_2008_To_12_31_20084353http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2008-01-01T00:00:002008-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseMcKesson Corporation [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_MckessonCorporationMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Stand
ardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse2false0bmy_EntityWideRevenueMajorCustomerPercentagebmyfalsenadurationThe percentage of revenue generated from a single external customer that accounts for 10 percent or more of an entity's...falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1truetruefalse0.240.24falsefal
sefalsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.250.25falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3truetruefalse0.240.24false
falsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:percentItemTypepureThe percentage of revenue generated from a single external customer that accounts for 10 percent or more of an entity's revenues.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse3false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.bms.com/taxonomy/role/disclosurebusinesssegmentinformationscheduleofpercentageoftotalgrosssalesdetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse4falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_12_31_20102227http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal Health, Inc. [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_CardinalHealthIncMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standa
rdhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli05falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
Duration_1_1_2009_To_12_31_200919http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal Health, Inc. [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_CardinalHealthIncMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standard
http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli06falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : Cardinal Health, Inc. [Member]
1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008
Duration_1_1_2008_To_12_31_20084352http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2008-01-01T00:00:002008-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseCardinal Health, Inc. [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_CardinalHealthIncMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standa
rdhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse4false0bmy_EntityWideRevenueMajorCustomerPercentagebmyfalsenadurationThe percentage of revenue generated from a single external customer that accounts for 10 percent or more of an entity's...falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1truetruefalse0.210.21falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.20.2falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3truetruefalse0.190.19falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:percentItemTypepureThe percentage of revenue generated from a single external customer that accounts for 10 percent or more of an entity's revenues.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse5false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.bms.com/taxonomy/role/disclosurebusinesssegmentinformationscheduleofpercentageoftotalgrosssalesdetails1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse7falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : AmerisourceBergen Corporation [Member]
1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Duration_1_1_2010_To_12_31_20102226http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseAmerisourceBergen Corporation [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_AmerisourcebergenCorporationMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli08falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : AmerisourceBergen Corporation [Member]
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
Duration_1_1_2009_To_12_31_200918http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseAmerisourceBergen Corporation [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_AmerisourcebergenCorporationMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli09falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis} : AmerisourceBergen Corporation [Member]
1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008
Duration_1_1_2008_To_12_31_2008435http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000014272duration2008-01-01T00:00:002008-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseAmerisourceBergen Corporation [Member]us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldibmy_AmerisourcebergenCorporationMemberus-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxisexplicitMemberUnit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse6false0bmy_EntityWideRevenueMajorCustomerPercentagebmyfalsenadurationThe percentage of revenue generated from a single external customer that accounts for 10 percent or more of an entity's...falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1truetruefalse0.160.16falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.150.15falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3truetruefalse0.140.14falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:percentItemTypepureThe percentage of revenue generated from a single external customer that accounts for 10 percent or more of an entity's revenues.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse36BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION (Schedule of Percentage of Total Gross Sales) (Details)UnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruetrue
