> The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology would get a $17 million funding boost, to a total of $78 million, under the Obama administration's budget proposal for fiscal year 2011. This includes $4 million for ONC to "to identify consumer perspectives on consumer e-health tools and the development of patient decision aids; anticipate and mitigate unintended consequences of the electronic exchange of health information; and support state governments as they implement their HITECH grants." FierceHealthIT
> Despite receiving initial support on a number of different fronts, a tax on soda and other sugary drinks appears to be losing popularity fast, with critics claiming that such measures could be a "slippery slope" for the taxation of other products. Article
> A top health official in Russia was sacked on Saturday because he seems to side with pharma companies rather than with the government on a proposal to regulate drug-sales efforts. Drugmakers have complained that the proposal doesn't clearly spell out rules for registering and licensing drugs, and that the drug-registration fee is too high. FiercePharma
And Finally... Does this mean we'll be seeing "Got Beer" ads in the future? Article