{"data":{"id":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-26-2h-5b","jurisdiction":"us-nj","citation":"N.J. Stat. § 26:2H-5b","heading":"Routine monitoring of pain as fifth vital sign required.","body":"1. a. The Commissioner of Health shall prescribe, by regulation, requirements to be adopted by health care facilities licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) for the routine monitoring of pain as a fifth vital sign in patients, in addition to blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and temperature.\nFor the purpose of this subsection, the commissioner shall require health care facilities to:\n(1)\troutinely inquire whether a patient is in pain;\n(2)\tmaintain policies and procedures as prescribed by the commissioner for asking patients to rate their degree of pain for a specified period of time and to record their responses; and\n(3)\troutinely record levels of pain intensity on patient charts.\nb.\tThe requirements to be adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall take effect no later than the 180th day after the effective date of this act.\nL.2000, c.62, s.1; amended 2012, c.17, s.154.","path":["TITLE 26 HEALTH AND VITAL STATISTICS"],"source_url":"https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/statutes/STATUTES-TEXT.zip","current_through":"P.L.2025, c.405, and J.R.22","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T17:54:13Z","sha256":"edef3255e4f59698741a110cd21fe5ac807c701f1f3d8d5daf5e9b210cffb105","source_id":"us-nj","stale":true,"prev":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-26-2h-5a","next":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-26-2h-5c"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}