This study investigates the effectiveness of the Cu-doped Bi2O3 method for removing antibiotics. Cu at varying concentrations of 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% was used to synthesize Bi2O3 material successfully. The optimal results were obtained by adding 4% Cu to the Bi2O3 matrix. Cu-doped Bi2O3 was characterized by an energy band gap of 2.32 eV, a crystal size of 37.04 nm, and α- Bi2O3 and Rouaite phases. Material containing Cu-doped Bi2O3 was used to degrade antibiotics such as amoxicillin (AMX), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and tetracycline (TC). The various removal techniques investigated include adsorption, photolysis, and photocatalysis. The photocatalytic procedure yielded the highest results in terms of degradation efficiency. The removal efficiency of each antibiotic using the photocatalytic method varies, with AMX at 52.06%, CIP at 61.72%, and TC at 69.44%. Cu-doped Bi2O3 degraded TC-type antibiotics more rapidly, with a reaction rate constant of 0.0065 minutes− 1, according to the results of the reaction rate constants. The high removal efficiency and rapid reaction rate indicate that Cu-doped Bi2O3 is an effective antibiotic removal agent, especially for tetracycline-type antibiotics.