This seems to be more of a US thing. In the UK doctors are sponsored to go to conferences but in places like Birmingham! Not much surf there! And none of the content at such conferences is provided by drug companies.
I remember having a medical film meeting where the film was met with stony disapproval because the rep was showing a promotional film rather than an educational film (a case of crossed wires).
The comments about mark-up are misleading. It takes millions to develop a new drug, which may hit a snag which means all the investment goes down the pan. This is why there have been many mergers recently.
The figure of 100,000 has no real basis (in fact that particular figure is a misquote of an altmed skeptic!).