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Significant Accounting Policies - Description of Business (Details) |  | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 16, 2015 state clinic pharmacy | Dec. 31, 2017 segment state clinic pharmacy store item | Dec. 31, 2015 item
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of reportable segments | segment |  | 3 |
Pharmacy Services Segment |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of pharmacies (more than 68,000) |  | 68,000 |
Number of chain pharmacies |  | 41,000 |
Number of independent pharmacies |  | 27,000 |
Number of conditions for integrated disease management | item |  | 18 |
Centers of excellence for infusion and enteral services | item |  | 3 |
Number of states pharmacies operated | state |  | 42 |
Pharmacy Services Segment | Specialty stores |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of pharmacies (more than 68,000) |  | 23 |
Pharmacy Services Segment | Specialty mail order |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of pharmacies (more than 68,000) |  | 18 |
Pharmacy Services Segment | Mail service |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of pharmacies (more than 68,000) |  | 4 |
Pharmacy Services Segment | Infusion and Enteral Branches |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of infusion and enteral branches | item |  | 83 |
Pharmacy Services Segment | Ambulatory Infusion Suites |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of infusion and enteral branches | item |  | 73 |
Retail/LTC Segment |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of states pharmacies operated | state |  | 49 |
Number of large business acquisitions | item |  |  | 2
Number of drugstores | store |  | 9,803 |
Number of on-site pharmacies |  | 37 |
Number of LTC spoke pharmacies | store |  | 145 |
Number of LTC hub pharmacies | store |  | 30 |
Retail/LTC Segment | MinuteClinic |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of drugstores | clinic |  | 1,134 |
Retail/LTC Segment | Minute Clinic Within C V S Pharmacy Stores |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of drugstores | clinic |  | 1,129 |
Retail/LTC Segment | Pharmacy |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of drugstores | store |  | 8,060 |
Target Pharmacy Acquisition |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of states pharmacies operated | state | 47 |  |
Number of pharmacies acquired | 1,672 |  |
Number of clinics acquired | clinic | 79 |  |
Target Pharmacy Acquisition | Retail/LTC Segment |  |  |
Segment reporting information |  |  |
Number of pharmacies acquired | 1,672 | 1,695 |
Number of clinics acquired | clinic | 79 |  |

X
- Definition Centers of Excellence for Infusion and Enteral Services + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_CentersofExcellenceforInfusionandEnteralServices
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Represents the number of conditions for which integrated disease management is available under the entity's rare disease management programs. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberOfConditionsForIntegratedDiseaseManagement
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The number of drugstores operated by the entity. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberOfDrugstores
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Represents the number of large business acquisitions. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberOfLargeBusinessAcquisitions
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of on-site pharmacies. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberOfOnsitePharmacies
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The number of pharmacies through which the reporting entity supplies pharmaceuticals. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberOfPharmacies
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The number of chain pharmacies through which the reporting entity supplies pharmaceuticals. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberofChainPharmacies
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Number of Clinics Acquired + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberofClinicsAcquired
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The number of independent pharmacies through which the reporting entity supplies pharmaceuticals. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberofIndependentPharmacies
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Number of Infusion and Enteral Branches + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberofInfusionandEnteralBranches
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Number of LTC hub pharmacies + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberofLTChubpharmacies
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Number of LTC spoke pharmacies + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberofLTCspokepharmacies
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Number of Pharmacies Acquired + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cvs_NumberofPharmaciesAcquired
Namespace Prefix: | cvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The number of states the entity operates in as of the balance sheet date. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_NumberOfStatesInWhichEntityOperates
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=cvs_PharmacyServicesSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | cvs_SegmentInformationByServicesAxis=cvs_SpecialtyStoresMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | cvs_SegmentInformationByServicesAxis=cvs_SpecialtyMailOrderMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | cvs_SegmentInformationByServicesAxis=cvs_MailServiceMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | cvs_SegmentInformationByServicesAxis=cvs_InfusionandEnteralBranchesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | cvs_SegmentInformationByServicesAxis=cvs_AmbulatoryinfusionsuitesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=cvs_RetailLTCSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=cvs_MinuteClinicMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=cvs_MinuteClinicWithinCVSPharmacyStoresMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | cvs_SegmentInformationByServicesAxis=cvs_PharmacyAndOnlineWebsiteMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=cvs_TargetPharmacyAcquisitionMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |